78 Gourd (CucurbithcecB ) . [No. 10 



they saw the hands of Christ's enemies ; in the coiled ten- 

 drils, scourges. The delicate spreading rays reminded 

 them of the nimbus, or halo, about His head, and of the 

 crown of thorns. The three styles with their stigmas 

 suggested the three nails — two for the hands, and one for 

 the crossed feet ; the five anthers, the five wounds, or 

 sometimes the hammers for driving the nails. Also the 

 position of the spreading stigmas was suggestive of the 

 cross itself. The ten parts of the flower stood for the ten 

 disciples, omitting Judas and Peter. 



So the flowers, which in many places were very common, 

 came to be constant reminders of the Christ. 



No. 10.— Family CUCURBITACE;E. (Gourd Fam.) 

 (i) Genus Si'cyos, L. 



The Greek name for the cucumber. 



Fig. 42. — One-Seeded Bur-Cucumber. S. angulatus, L. 



Flowers, small, whitish ; in two forms, both from the same 

 axil : the pistillate form in rounded clusters, the sta- 

 minate form in lengthened clusters. Petals, five, 

 spreading, united toward the base. Calyx, five- 

 toothed. Stamens, five. Anthers, united in a single 

 mass. Style, slender. Stigmas, three. Seed-case, one- 

 celled, one-seeded, adherent to the calyx. July to 

 September. 



Leaves, three to five inches across, simple, alternate, five- 

 angled or five-lobed, rounded, heart-shape. Ends of 

 the lobes pointed, edges toothed, the hollows rounded 

 and shallow. Surfaces downy. Leaf-stems, hairy. 

 Tendrils, three-branched or more, the branches in 

 spirals. 



