THE GOURD TRIBE. 51 



It may seem like a paradox at once to proceed from 

 such plants as these, to Melons, Gourds, and Cucum- 

 bers, because of their natural affinity, especially if 

 Bryony (Bryonia dioica, Plate XXX. 2.) be taken by 

 way of illustration. And yet such is the course 1 

 must follow; for I know of no plants allied to Cactuses 

 in so many respects as the Gourd Tribe is. This will 

 be more evident presently. 



That the various kinds of Gourd, Vegetable Mar- 

 row, Squash, and the Melon, Water Melon, and Cu- 

 cumber, are all combined by characters of the strictest 

 resemblance, requires no proof. Nor indeed is it pos- 

 sible to doubt that the Bryony {Plate XXX. 2.) also 

 appertains to the smae group. I shall leave you to ex- 

 amine the former without my assistance ; the last 

 mentioned plant deserves a detailed notice. You are, 

 perhaps, aware that it is a perennial plant, with a 

 large fleshy poisonous root, and rough stems, that 

 rapidly extend over bushes and hedges, adhering firmly 

 to the branches by means of its tough aud numerous 

 tendrils. In Norfolk, Suffolk, and many other parts 

 of England, it is abundant in hedge-rows, half smother- 

 ing the bushes it clings to, and reddening all the lanes 

 with its clusters of scarlet berries. 



It bears the rough, pale yellow, toothed leaves of 

 the Gourd, but they are differently lobed and formed, 

 for they have about five deep divisions, of which that 

 in the middle is rather longer than those at the sides, 

 while the lowest are often two-lobed, and always 

 turned back upon the stalk, so as to give the leaf 

 what is called a heart-shaped base. The flowers are 



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