GUGURBITACE^-GOURD FAMILY 



A group of tendril-bearing, climbing or prostrate vines with 

 alternate leaves palmately lobed or veined. The inflorescence is 

 monoecious or dioecious. The flowers are either staminate or 

 pistillate or perfect — -all three kinds on the same plant or on differ- 

 ent plants. The calyx tube adheres to the one to three-celled ovary 

 and the stamens, five or two and a half, commonly united by their 

 tortuous anthers, and sometimes also by their filaments. Stigrnas 

 two or three. Limb of calyx and corolla often more or less com- 

 bined. Fruit fleshy or membranaceous; seeds large and flat. In 

 general cultivation are Pumpkin, Squash, Cucumber, Watermelon, 

 Muskmelon, and Gourd; all in endless varieties. Mostly a tropical 

 or sub-tropical family. 



HUBBARD SQUASH 



Cucurbita pepo var. maxima. 



Stem. — Prostrate, cylindrical, rough, hairy, sparingly branched; 

 tendr-ils two to three, forked. 



Leaves. — Alternate, petiolate, rough, large, orbicular or kidney- 

 shaped, margin more or less sinuate. 



Flowers. — Monoecious; large golden cups, three to- five inches across, 

 borne in the axils of the leaves, the staminate long-stalked, the pistillate 

 short-stalked. 



Calyx. — Hairy, bell-shaped, five-lobed; lobes imbricated. 



Corolla. — A golden cup, the body about the same diameter at top and 

 bottom, the border flaring and five-lobed; lobes large, soft and wide- 

 spreading or drooping. 



Stamens. — In staminate flowers, three, arising from the bottom of the 

 flower; the filaments united into a column; the anthers tortuous and 

 combined into an oblong head. In pistillate flowers wanting. 



Ovary. — Coherent with the calyx; stigmas three, each two-lobed. 



Fruit. — Fleshy, with a firm rind. 



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