Mojnordzca.] Cucurbitacece. 249 



Throughout the Tropics. 



Several varieties are grown, and much used for curries by the natives. 

 M. seylanica, Mill., is a form with shorter fruit. Leaves very bitter to 

 the taste (hence the plant was called 'Maragosa' by the Portuguese) with 

 a disagreeable smoky odour when bruised. 



2. M. dioica, Roxb. in Willd. Sp. PL iv. 605 (1805). Tumba- 

 karivila, S. Tumpai, Faluppakal, T. 



Moon Cat. 66. Thw. Enum. 126. C. P. 197. 



Fl. B. Ind. ii. 617. Wight, Ic. tt. 505 (male), 506 (female). 



Perennial, with tuberous roots, stems somewhat com- 

 pressed and 2-edged, striate, glabrous and shining; 1. variable, 

 2-4 in., broadly ovate in outline, very cordate at base, acute, 

 more or less deeply cut into 3 or 5 lobes, distantly dentate or 

 denticulate, thin, quite glabrous and shining on both sides, 

 minutely punctate beneath, petiole i-i| in., pubescent, chan- 

 nelled above; fl. dioecious, solitary, peduncle about 2 in., 

 slender, glabrous or finely pubescent, in the male with a large 

 hooded bract a little below the fl. and enclosing it, in the fern, 

 with a minute bract below the middle; cal.-segm. distant, 

 linear; pet. |-i in., lanceolate, acuminate, slightly pubescent; 

 fern. fl. : — ov. densely covered with long soft papillae, stigmas 

 bifid with erect horns; fruit about 2 in., oblong-ovoid, beaked, 

 glabrous, evenly covered with equal-pointed papillae; seeds 

 broadly oblong, compressed, nearly smooth, pulpy covering 

 red. 



Low country, especially in the dry region ; common. Fl. June- 

 August; pale lemon-yellow. 



Throughout India and Malaya. 



The leaves vary extremely in the depth of the lobes ; they are not 

 bitter to the taste. The fruit is bitter, but that of the cultivated forms is 

 much less so and is eaten as a vegetable. 



3. Til. denudata, Clarke in Fl. Brit. hid. ii. 618 (1879). 



M. dioica, var. denudata, Thw. Enum. 126. Cogn. I. c. 448. C. P. 161 5. 

 Fl. B. Ind. ii. 618. 



Annual (?) stems compressed, 2-edged, furrowed, glabrous, 

 young parts glabrous; 1. 2-4 in., cordate-ovate in outline, very 

 acute, more or less deeply 3- or 5-lobed at base, distantly 

 denticulate, glabrous, punctate beneath, petiole channelled 

 above, slightly pubescent; fl. dioecious, male in a small raceme 

 of 4-8 and a separate basal one (often alone produced), ped. 

 about h in., puberulous, bracts minute, fern, solitary; cal.- 

 segm. linear-lanceolate or linear, acuminate, longer in fern.; 

 pet ] -1 in., lanceolate, acute, pubescent, narrower in fern.; ov. 

 densely covered with long acute papillae; fruit about 1 ^ in., 

 ovoid, usually lop-sided, suddenly narrowed into a strong 



