604 Lxv. cucuKBiTACBJi. (C. B. Clarke.) 



Okder lxv. CVCVRBXTACE^. (By C. B. Clarke, F.L.S.) 



Climbing heTl>s or shrubs ; tendrils solitary, lateral, spiral, simple or divided.' 

 Leaves alternate, petioled, frequently cordate, simple lobed or pedately divided. 

 Flowers monoecious or dioecious, yellow or white, raeemed and solitary, less com- 

 monly panicled. Calyx-tvbe wholly adnate to the ovary (except in Actinbr 

 stemma) ; limb rotate campanulate or tubular ; lobes 5 (rarely 3), imbricate. 

 Petals 5, inserted on the calyx-limb, united in a tube or neady or quite free, 

 sometimes fimbriated at the margin, valvate or involute in the bud. Stamens 

 inserted at the mouth or about the middle or at the base of the calyx-tube; 

 usually 3 (sometimes 5 or 2) ; anthers free or united into a tube, one usually 

 1-ceUed and the other two 2-ceUed, cells straight or flexuose or conduplicate^ 

 the connective sometimes crested or produced. Ovaty inferior (in Actinostemnia 

 half-superior), usually 3-carpellary ; style 1 with 3 stigmas, more rarely styles 

 2-3-4; placentas usually 3, vertical, in double lines, the edges of the carpellaiy 

 leaves being often turned in so far that the ovary (in flower time even) is spuri- 

 ously 3-ceIled; ovules usually many, horizontal, rarely pendulous, sometimes 

 few and pendulous from near the top of the ovary (in Inctelospermum 3 erect 

 from the base of the ovary. ?). Fruit generally berried or fleshy, indehiscent 

 or dehiscing by valves or by a stopple, often l-ceUed, the seeds being often 

 packed in pulp or fibre. Seeds usually many, often compressed, horizontal^ 

 pendulous (or in XHeeelospermum erect), frequently corrugated or subspinose on 

 the margins, albumen 0. — Distrib. Species 400, in the warmer parte of the 

 whole globe especially in the tropics. 



Tribe I. Cucumerineae. Omiles horizontal (or pendulous). Female 

 flowers usually solitary, never panicled. Leaves not divided into distinct leaf- 

 lets (except rarely in Thladiantha). 



A. Anther-ceUs condvplicate or sigmoid. 



* Corolla divided nearly or quite to the hose into 5 petals. 



t Petals ^fimbriate at their margin. 



Seeds 6. Calyx-tube 3-4 in 1. Hodgsonia. 



Seeds many. Calyx-tube less than 3 in 2. Tsichosaitthes. 



tt Petals entire. 



a. ccdyx-tvhe of the maleJUnver elongate ; anthers ustuiUy included in 



the tvbe or nearly so. 



Seeds many, horizontal. Tendrils rarely divided . 3. Gymnopetaitim. 

 Seeds many, horizontal. Tendrils 2-3-fid. Petiole 



without glands 4. Waeea. 



Seeds 12-18, pendulous 5. Hbepbtospbemtjm. 



Tendrils divided. Fruit very large. Petiole with 



2 glands at apex 6. Lagenaeia. 



b. Calyx-tube of the male flower short; anthers usually exserted frofn 



the tvhe or nearly so. 



a. Stamens inserted near the mouth of the calyx-tvhe ; anthei'S 

 hardly or not at all cohering. 



