294 FREAKS OF PLANT LIFE 



A remarkable instance of violent dehiscence is to 

 be seen in a member of the cucumber family, named 

 from its habits the " squirting cucumber." (Momor- 

 dica elaterium). The small oval fruit, not more than 

 an inch and a half in- length, is covered with 

 prickles. When quite ripe this separates from the 

 stalk, and jerks out its juice, with which the seeds 

 are mixed, from the little opening at the base. The 

 fruit was formerly considered valuable as a medicine,, 

 and was cultivated for that purpose in this country, 

 but now that its use has been superseded it is rarely 

 to be met with. 



The witch hazel of North America {Hamamelis 

 virginicd) exhibits a peculiar elasticity in the seeds, 

 or embryo of the seeds, which are thrown out with 

 such force as to strike people violently in the face 

 who pass through the woods. Collecting a number 

 of the capsules, and laying them on the floor, Mr. 

 Meehan found that the seeds, or embryos were 

 thrown out, generally to the distance of four or six 

 feet, and in one instance as much as twelve feet. 



We might here descend a little lower in the vege- 

 table world than we have done hitherto, and indicate 

 amongst the lower cryptogamia one or two very 

 decided instances of the forcible ejection of the 

 mature fruit corpuscles. In fungi, for example, we 

 have observed the grass all round a spot in which a 

 number of cups of a " bird's nest fungus " {Crucibu- 



