Oedeb 58.— CUCTJEBITACEjE. 365 



M. p^ndula L. Lvs. roundish, cordate, 5-lobed or angled, pointed, slightly hispid ; 

 fls. axillary, the sterile in small racemes, the fertJle solitary, on long peduncles. — 

 N". T. to Ga. and La. A delicately slender vine, climbing over other plants. 

 Lvs. small (1 to 2' diam.) Fls. small, yellowish. Sty. short, surrounded by a 

 cup-shaped disk. Fr. small, oval. Jl 



6. CUCUR'BITA, L. Squash. (A Latin word, signifying a vessel ; 

 from the form of tlie fruit.) Fls. 8 . Corolla campanulate ; petals 

 united and coherent with the calyx. ^ Caly-x 5-toothed; stamens 5, 

 triadelphoiis, anthers syngenecious, straight, parallel. ? Calyx 5- 

 toothed, upper part deciduous after flowering ; stigmas 3, thick, 2-lol>ed ; 

 pepo fleshy or ligneous, 3 to 5-celled ; seeds thickened at margin, obo- 

 vate, compressed, smooth. — Fls. mostly yellow. 



1 C. p§po L. Pumpkin. Ewpid and scabrous; st. procumbent; tendrils 

 branched ; lvs. (vary large) cordate, palmately 6-Iobed or angled, denticulate ; fls. 

 axillary, J long- pedunculate ; fr. very large, roundish or oblong, smooth, furrowed 

 and torulous.— (J) Fields. Long cultivated as a useful kitchen vegetable or for 

 cattle. Fls. large, yellow. Fr. sometimes 3f diam., yellow when mature, yield- 

 ing sugar abundantly. Jl. J Levant. 



2 C. Melopdpo L. Flat Squash. Hairy ; st. procumbent, with branched 

 tendrils ; lvs. cordate, palmately somewhat 5-lobed, denticulate ; fls. pedunculate ; 

 ff. depressed-orliicuhr, the margin mostly toruloua or tumid, smooth or warty. — 

 Gardens. Cultivated for its fruit, a well known kitchen vegetable. There ar-i 

 many varieties in respect to the fruit. :f Nativity ? 



3 C. vemioosa L. 'Waeted Squash. Crook-neck Squash, &c. Haiiy. ' 

 procumbent, lvs. cordate, palmately and deeply 5-lobed, denticulate, terminal 

 lobe narrowed at base ; fls. pedunculate, large ; fr. roundish elliptic or clavaU. 

 often elongated and incurved at base. — (D Mentioned by Nuttall as long cultivated 

 by the Indians W. of the Mississippi. Common in our gardens, with numerous 

 well known varieties of the fruit. Jl. if 



7. CITRUL'LUS, Neck. Watermelon. (Lat. citrus., an orange.) 

 Calyx deeply 6-cleft, segments linear-lanceolate ; petals 5, united at 

 base and adnate to the bottom of the calyx ; stamens 5, triadelphous ; 

 style trifid ; stigmas convex, reniform-cordate ; fruit subglobous, fleshy, 

 the succulent placentas filling the cell ; seeds colored, numerous, trun- 

 cate at base and obtuse on the margin. 



C. vulgaris Schrad. Hirsute; st. prostrate, slender; lvs. somewhat 5-lobed, 

 the lobes obtusely sinuate-pinnatifid, glaucous beneath ; fls. solitary, pedunculate, 

 with a single bract ; fr. globous or oval, smooth, stellate-maculate. — Extensively 

 cultivated for its well-known dehoious, cooling fruit. Fl. Jn. — Aug. Fr. Aug., 

 Sept. — A variety is the citron, a smaller fruit with thicker and firmer rind 

 X India. Afr. 



8. CUXUMIS, L. Cucumber. (Celtic cuce, a hollow vessel ?) 

 Flowers 8 ovi^ . Calyx tubular-campanulate, with subulate segments ; 

 corolla deeply 5-parted. $ Stamens 5, triadelphous. ? Stylo short ; 

 stigmas 3, thick, 2-lobed ; pepo fleshy, indehiscent ; seeds ovate, flat, 

 acute, and not margined at the edge. — Creeping or climbing by ten- 

 drils. Fls. axillary, solitary, yellow. 



1 C. sativus L. Cucumber, St. prostrate, rough; tendrils simple; lvs. 

 subcordate, broad as long, palmately 5-angled or lobed, lobes subentire, acute, 

 terminal one longest ; fr. oblong, obtusely prismatic, pricMy, on a short peduncle. 

 — (D First brought to England in 1573. It is now universally cultivated for th« 

 table, either fresh or pickled. Gathered and eaten before maturity. Jn. — Sept. 

 Many varieties. 



2 C. MSIo L. Musk Melos. St. prostrate, rough, tendrils simple; lvs. 

 subcordate, roundish, obtuse, palmately 5-angled, lobes rounded, obtuse, obscurely 



