456 A FLORA OP MANILA 



ecious, solitary, racemed, umbellate, or panicled. Calyx-tube adnata to the 

 ovary, the limb tubular or campanulate, S-lobed. ■ Petals B, more or less 

 united or sometimes free, the lobes entire or fimbriated. Stamens usually 

 3, sometimes 5 or 2; anthers free or united, the cells straight or con- 

 duplicate. Ovai-y inferior, 3-celled; styles 1 to 4, usually 1 with 3 stigmas; 

 ovules many, on parietal placentae. Fruit small to very large, fleshy or 

 ultimately dry, indehiscent or dehiscing by valves or by an operculum. 

 Seeds numerous, usually imbedded in pulp or fiber, often compressed, 

 frequently wrinkled. 



Genera 96, species 750, in the warmer parts of the entire world espe- 

 cially in the tropics, 14 genera and about 30 species in the Philippines. 



1. Anther-cells straight; slender vines with small flowers and fruit. 



1., Melothria 

 1. Anther cells conduplicate or curved in two directions like the letter S. 

 2. Corolla divided about one-half to the ^ase or less; coarse vines with 



large, solitary, yellow flowers and very large fruits 2. Cucurbita 



2. Petals free, or corolla divided nearly tO' the base. 



3. Petals fimbriate 3. Trichoaanthea 



3. Petals entire. 



4. Flowers white; calyx-tube of the male flowers elongated; anthers 



included or nearly so „ 4. Lagenaria 



4. Flowers mostly yellow; dalyx-tube of the male flowers short; 

 anthers usually exserted. 

 5. Anthers not or scarcely cohering; stamens inserted near the 

 mouth of the calyx-tube. 

 6. Male flowers racemose; fruit cylindric, sometimes angled,'open- 



ing at the end ,. 6. Luffa 



6. Flowers solitary; fruit ellipsoid, indehiscent ~ 6. Benincaaa 



5. Anthers more or less cohering; stamens inserted below the 

 mouth of the calyx-tube. 

 6. Tendrils 2- or 3-fid; leaves deeply lobed, the lobes pinnatifid. 



7. Citrullua 

 6. Tendrils simple, lobes of the leaves not pinnatifid. 



7. Male flowers clustered, short-pedicelled 8. Cucumia 



7. Male flowers racemose, or solitary and long pedicelled, 

 usually bracteolate 9. Momordica 



1. MELOTHRIA Linnaeus 



Climbing, usually slender herbs, the tendrils simple or 2-fid. Leaves 

 deltoid-ovate, base truncate or cordate, entire or lobed, usually scabrous. 

 Flowers small, monoecious, pedicellate, axillary. Calyx-tube short, teeth 

 5. Corolla 5-partite. Male flowers with 3 stamens inserted on the middle 

 of the calyx-tube. Female flowers with an oblong ovary; stigmas 3. 

 Fruit globose to ellipsoid or fusiform. Seeds small, numerous. (Altered 

 from the Greek name of a kind of wild grape.) 



Species about 55 of wide tropical distribution, 4 or 5 in the Philippines. 



1. M. INDICA Lour. Melon-daga (Tag.). 



A slender vine 1 to 2 m long with simple tendrils. Leaves scabrous, 

 triangular-ovate, acute or acuminate, base hastate-cordate, margins suben- 

 tire or irregularly toothed, or even slightly lobed, 3 to 8 cm long. Flowers 

 somewhat straw-colored, about 5 mm long, then pedicels slender, 1 to 2.5 



