248 CuctirbitaceCB . [Momordica. 



partitions, when very deeply cut nearly to the base it is var. alcecefolia, 

 Cogn. 1. c. 531, occasionally met with. The structure of the fruit is 

 peculiar, the seeds are truly parietal in attachment, but each is enclosed 

 in a separate compartment and surrounded by a reddish pulp ; thus a 

 vertical section looks like that of a small pomegranate. 



I refrain from quoting Fl. Zeyl. n. 354 and Bryonia cordifolia, L. for 

 this, as Hermann's specimens are undoubtedly Mukia scabrella. . Cogniaux 

 (1. c. 529), however, adopts Linnaeus's specific name, and calls this plant 

 Cocci7iia cordifolia. 



4. MOMORDICA, L. 



Annual or perennial, tendrils simple, fl. monoecious or 

 dioecious, male in racemes or solitary, fern, solitary; cal.-segm. 

 5, oval or narrow; pet. very slightly connate at base; stam. 3, 

 anth. slightly connate, cells conduplicate; ov. muricate or 

 papillose, style short, stigmas large; fruit ovoid or fusiform, 

 beaked, coarsely tuberculate, many-seeded ; seeds rather large, 

 ovoid, in a pulpy envelope. — Sp. 35 (Cogniaux); 6 in Fl. B. 

 Ind. 



Fl. monoecious 1. M. Charantia. 



Fl. dioecious. 



Male fl. solitary, with a large hooded bract beneath 2. M. DIOICA. 



Male fi. usually in racemes, without bracts beneath 3. M. DENUDATA. 



1. *1W. Charantia, L. Sp. PI. 1009 (1753). XCarivila, Batu- 

 karivila, .V. Pakal, Nutipakal, T. 



Herm. Mus. 39. Burm. Thes. 161. Moon Cat. 66. Thw. Enum. 126. 

 C. P. 1614. 



Fl. B. Ind. ii. 616. Wight, Ic. t. 504. Duthie, Crops, t. 64. 



Annual, stems somewhat twining, much branched, sharply 

 5-angled, roughly pubescent, young parts hairy; 1. 2^-5 in., 

 almost circular in outline, very deeply cordate at base, 

 palmately cut to beyond the middle into 7 or 9 lobes, lobes 

 acute, apiculate, coarsely spinous-dentate, pubescent on the 

 veins on both sides, petiole 1-2 in., channelled above and 

 narrowly bordered with decurrent leaf-base; fi. monoecious, 

 solitary, axillary, on slender peduncles 2 or 3 in. long, usually 

 with a large, sessile, rotund ate, entire bract on the lower half, 

 and often close to the base; cal.-segm. oval, subacute, pu- 

 bescent; pet. twice as long as cal.-segm., rounded, veiny; 

 fem. fl. : — ov. finely pubescent, stigmas bilobed; fruit large, 

 3-6 in., pendulous, fusiform, usually pointed or beaked, closely 

 tubercled and also bluntly muricated, orange-coloured; seeds 

 ovoid, large, about \ in., compressed, each enclosed in red 

 pulpy envelope. 



Low country up to 3000 ft., but cultivated or escaped from cultivation 

 always. Fl. June-August; lemon-yellow. 



