GOURD FAMILY 



big black seed. Were this nicked, as is done in the case of 

 moonflower seeds, the germination might be more rapid. The 



inflorescence of the vine is ex- 

 tremely interesting. The flow- 

 ering racemes are abundant 

 and frequently a foot long; 

 even an ordinary raceme will 

 produce from one hundred and 

 fifty to two hundred staminate 

 flowers. But the puzzle is to 

 find the pistillate flowers which 

 are to produce the fruit. At 

 the base of the long raceme, 

 sometimes on its central stem 

 and sometimes at the axil, is a 

 minute green lump, which may 

 be one and sometimes is sev- 

 eral pistillate flowers, so small 

 that only a glass will enable one 

 to separate them, and so in- 

 conspicuous that they would 

 never be seen unless sought 

 for. But in time, if all goes well, each unobserved greenling will 

 swell and swell, become prickly and fleshy, and finally produce the 

 hope of the race — four large, dark seeds. 



Wild Cucumber. EchinocysHs lobala 



Bryondpsis lacimbsa is an annual cucurbit recommended as a 

 good climber. Its leaves are deeply five-lobed; the flower yellow, 

 monoecious, and the fruit pretty green and white spheres about 

 the size of a cherry. Native to Asia, Africa, and Australia. 



4^6 



