Oedeb 58.— CUCUEBITACE^. 363 



phous, surrounding the stipe of the ovary. Ovary superior, on a long stipe, 1-celled; 

 styles 3. Fruit many-seede4 (lUust in figs. 48, 148, 371, 372.) 



Genera 12, species 210, chiefly natives of tropical America, but caltivuted in many other coun- 

 tries as ornamental flowers. The fruit of the Granadillft (Passiflora uiultiformie) is oaten in the 

 AV. Indies, and highly valaod as a dessert, but the root is poisonous. 



PASSIFLO^RA, L. Passion Flower. (Lat. Jlos passionis ; the 

 several parts of the flower wore compared to the instruments of the 

 Saviour's passion, viz., the cross^ the nails, and the crown of thorns.) 

 Calyx colored, deeply 5-parted, the throat with a complex, filamentous 

 crown ; petals 5 ; sometimes ; stamens 5, connate with the stipe of 

 the ovary ; anthers largo ; stigmas 3, large, clavatc, capitate ; fruit a 

 pulpy berry. — Climbing herbs or shrubs. Fls. largo, of a singular and 

 wonderful structure. (Fig. 372.) 



1 P. ccertilea L. Shrubby; Ivs. palmately and deepli/ H-parted ; segm. linear- 

 oblong, entire, lateral ones often 2-Iobed; pet. glandular, with a 3-bracteolale 

 involucre near the flower ; braotlets entire ; £l. of the crown shorter than the cor. 

 — Native of Brazil, where it grows to the thickness of a man's arm and to the 

 height of 30f! Fls. large and beautiful, blue externally, white and purple within, 

 continuing but one day. Fr. ovoid, yellow, f 



2 P. incarndta L. Lvs. deeply 3-lobed, lobes oblong, acute, serrate, petioles with 

 2 glands near the summit ; bractlets of the involucre 3, obovate-glandular ; crown 

 triple. — Va. to Fla. Sts. climbing 20 to 30f. Fls. large and showy. Petals 

 white. Two outer rows of filaments, long, purple, with a whitish band, the irmer 

 row of short rays, flesh-colored. Berry pale yellow, of the size of an apple, eata^ 

 ble. May — Jl. 



3 P. Ititea L. Lvs. glabrous, cordate, 3-lobed, obtuse ; petioles without glands ; pod. 

 mostly In pairs ; pet. narrower and much longer than the sep. — A slender climber, 

 5 to 1 Of long, in woods and thickets, Ohio and S. States. Lvs. yellowish green, 

 nearly as broad as long. Fls. small and greenish yellow. Corona in 3 rows, the 

 inner row a membranous disk with a fringed border. Fr. dark purple. May — ^Jl. 



Order LVIII. CUCUKBITACEtE. Cucurbits. 



Herts succulent, creeping or climbing by tendrils, with alternate leaves. Flowers 



monoecious or polygamous, never blue. CUj/s 5-toothed, adherent. Petah 5, united, 



inserted on the calyx, the lobes alternating. Stamens 5, distinct, generally cohtr- 



ing in 3 sets. Anthers very long and wavy or twisted. Ovary inferior, 1-celled, 



with 3 parietal plaoentte often filling the cells. Fruit a pepo or membranous. Seeds 



flat, with no albumen, often ariled. (Fig. 442.) 



Genera 60, species 300, natives of tropical regions, only a few beinp found in the temperate 

 zones of Europe and America. A highly important order of plants, affordin^i some of the most 

 delicious and nutritive fruit. A bitter laxative principle pervades the group, which is so concer.- 

 tratcd in a few as to render them actively medicinal. The ofllcinal colocynth is prepared from 

 the pulp of Cucumia Colocynthis, a powerful drastic poisoD. 



§ Corolla white,— C-cleft. Stigmas 3. Fruit cchinate EcniNOCVSTls. 1 



— S-petailed. Pepo smooth, many-seeded Lagena kia. 2 



« — 5-parted. Berry smooth, few-seeded Bryonia. 3 



— 6-lobcd. Fruit prickly, 1-seeded S icyos. 4 



5 Corolla yellow,— 8-lobed. Berry small, smooth, OO-seeded Melotheia. .1 



— 5-lobcd. Popo large. Seeds thick at edge Cuccebita. f. 



— 5-cleft. Pepo large Seeds colored, thicfc -edged CiTnuLLirs. 7 



—Seeds white, acute-edged CfcuillB. S 



i. ECHIKOCYS'TIS, Ton-. <fc Gray. (Gr. e^tvo?-, sea urchin, icvaTU, 

 bladder ; alluding to the spiny, inflated fruit.) Flowers monoecious. 

 Sterile fl. — Calyx of 6 filiform-subulate segments, shorter than the cor- 

 olla ; petals 6, united at base into a rotate campanulate corolla ; sta- 



