Order 58.— OUCURBITACB^. 353 



phous, surrounding the stipe of the ovary. Ooary superior, on a long stipe, 1-oelled; 

 styles 3. Fmit many-seeded. (lUust. in figs. 48, 148, 311, 372.) 



Genera 12, species 3t0, chiefly natives of tronicnl America, but cultivated in many other coun- 

 tries as ornamental flowers. The fruit of the Granadilla (Passiflora multiformis) is eaten in the 

 W. Indies, and highly valued as a dessert, but the root is poisonous. 



PASSIFLO'RA, L. Passion Flower. (Lat. flos passionis ; the 

 several parts of the flovfer were compared to the instruments of the 

 Savionv's passion, viz., the cross, the nails, and the crown of thorns.) 

 Calyx colored, deeply 5-parted, the throat with a complex, filamentous 

 crown ; petals .5 ; sometimes ; stamens 5, connate with the stipe of 

 the ovary ; anthers large ; stigmas 3, large, clavate, capitate ; fruit a 

 pulpy berry. — Climbing herbs or shrubs. Fls. large, of a singular and 

 wonderful structure. (Fig. 372.) • 



1 P. ccEriilea L. Shrubby ; Ivs. palmately and deeply Z-pcurted; segm. linear- 

 oblong, entire, lateral ones often 2-lobed,- pet. glandular, with a 3-braeteolate 

 involucre near the flower ; braotlets entire ; fil. of the crown shorter than the cor, 

 — Native of Brazil, where It grows to the thickness of a man's arm and to the 

 height of 30E Fls. large and beautiful, blue externally, white and purple within, 

 continuing but one day. Pr. ovoid, yellow, -j- 



2 P. incaruata L. Lvs. deeply Z-lobed, lobes oblong, acute, serrate, petioles with 

 2 glands near the summit ; bractlets of the involucre 3, obovate-glandular ; crown 

 triple. — Va. to Ma. Sts. climbing 20 to 30f. Pla. large and showy. Petals 

 white. Two outer rows of filaments, long, purple, with a whitish band, the inner 

 row of short rays, flesh-colored. Berry pale yellow, of the size of an apple, eata- 

 ble. May — Jl. 



3 P. IMea L. Lvs. glabrous, cordate, 3-lobed, obtuse ; petioles without glands ; ped. 

 mostly in pairs ; pet. narrower and much longer than the sep. — A slender climber, 

 5 to lOf long, in woods and thickets, Ohio and S. States. Lvs. yellowish green, 

 nearly as broad as long. Pis. small and greenish yellow. Corona in 3 rows, the 

 inner row a membranous disk with a fringed border. Fr. dark purple. May — Jl. 



Okdee LVIII. CUCUEBITACEJE. Cucurbits. 

 Herbs succulent, creeping or climbing by tendrils, with alternate leaves. Flowers 

 monoecious or polygamous, never blue. Ccdyx 5-toothed, adherent. Petals 5, united, 

 inserted on the calyx, the lobes alternating. Stamens 5, distinct, generally coher- 

 ing in 3 sets. Anthers very long and wavy or twisted. Ovary inferior, l-oeUed, 

 with 3 parietal placentas often filling the cells. Fruit a pepo or membranous. Seeds 

 flat, with no albumen, often ariled. (Pig. 442.) 



Gfmera 60, species 800, natives of tropical regions, only a few being found in the temperate 

 zones of Europe and America. A highly important order of plants, affording some of the most 

 delicious and nutritive fruit. A bitter laxative principle pervades the group, which is so concen- 

 trated in a few as to render them actively medicinal. The oflBcinal colocynih is prepared from 

 the pulp of Cuoumis Colocynthis, a powerful driistic poison. 



§ Corolla white,— 6-cleft. Stigmas 2. Fruit echinato EcnisocTBTis. 1 



— 6-petalIed. Pepo smooth, many-seeded Lagenakia. 2 



— 5-parted. Berry smooth, few-seeded Eetonia. 8 



— 5-Iobed. Fruit prickly, 1-seoded Siovos. 4 



§ Corolla yellow,— 5-lobed. Berry small, smooth, oo-sooded Meiotdkia. S 



— 5-lobed. Pepo large. Seeds thick at edge Ououkbita. 6 



— 5-cIeft. Pepo large.— Seeds colored, thick-edged Citbui-lus. 7 



— Seeds white, acute-edged ..Cucumis. 8 



1. ECHINOCYS'TIS, Torr. & Gray. (Gr. e^ivof, sea urchin, kvotl^, 

 bladder ; alluding to the spiny, iniflated fruit.) Flowers monoecious. 

 Sterile fl. — Calyx of 6 filiform-subulate segments, shorter than the cor- 

 olla ; petals 6, united at base into a rotate campanulate corolla ; sta- 



