CVI. CUCUEBITACE^. 449 



A. L. de Jussieu placed Paasifloreee in the family of Cucurhitaceai, whicli tliey approach in their 

 climbing stem furnished with tendrils, their alternate palminerved leaves, double perianth, and one-ceUed 

 ovary with parietal placentatioii ; in addition to which some genera are diclinous (Modeecd) ; but in 

 Cucurhitacecs the ovary is inferior, the anthers are extrorse, usually reduced to three, and ayngenesious, 

 the embryo is exalbuminous, the leaves exstipulate, and the tendrils are leaves arising from a branch 

 joined to the stem, arrested near the point of departure, and merged in the petiole of the leaf which it 

 bears. Some Loasece have, like Pamiflorea, a climbing stem, palminerved leaves, a one-celled ovary with 

 parietal placentation, numerous pendulous and anatropous ovules, the fruit a capsule or berry, and a straight 

 axile albuminous embryo ; but they want stipules and tendrils, and the placentas occupy the interspaces and 

 not the middle of the valves of the fruit. Passiflorece have an affinity with Homalinea,'^ founded on the 

 2-aeriate perianth, the 1-celled ovary, parietal placentation, styles equalling the placentas in number, the 

 berry or capsule, albuminous seed, and the alternate stipulate leaves ; but in Homalinea the ovary is 

 usually inferior, and the stamens inserted high up the calyx-tube ; Papayacece also approach Pasdflorecs 

 in their palminerved leaves, their free usually 1-celled ovary with parietal placentation, their fleshy 

 fruit, and their arillate seeds ; but they are separated by being diclinous [Tribes Modeccecs and Aohariem 

 are both diclinous], by the insertion of the stamens, the radiating sub-sessile stigma, &c. 



Paesi/lorecB mostly inhabit the tropical regions of the New World ; they are much rarer in Asia, 

 Australia, and tropical Africa, where we find Smeathmannia, a shrub without tendrils. The pulpy aril of 

 PassifloreiB and Taosonia is used in America in the preparation of cooling drinks. The flowers and fruits 

 of Passifiora nibra [called Dutchman's Laudanum] are prescribed in the Antilles for their narcotic 

 properties. P. quadrangularis (the Grenadilla) is valued, like the allied species, for the refreshing pulp 

 of its seeds, but its root is very poisonous ; if administered in a small dose it is a vermifuge, like many 

 of the other species. 



[The Papaw is the insipid berry of Carica, the juice of whose fruit is a powerful vermifuge and anti- 

 septic, and contains fibrine, a substance otherwise supposed to be peculiar to the Animal Kingdom. The 

 whole tree has the singular property of rendering tough meat tender by separating the muscular fibres ; 

 its roots smell like decaying radishes, and its leaves are used as a soap by negros. The juice of the 

 Brazilian C. digUata is a deadly poison.— Ed.] 



CVI. CUCURBITACE^, Jussieu. 



TiiOWEES monoecious, ddoecious, or polygamous. Coeolla 5-merous, imbricate. 

 Stamens 5-3, of which one is usually 1-celled. Ovart inferior, 1-several-celled, 1- 

 many-ovuled. Feuit a herry. Seeds exalbuminous. Ehbeto straight. — Stem fur- 

 nished with tendrils. Leaves alternate. 



Annual or perennial heebs or undeesheubs with fibrous or often tuberous 

 roots. Stem cylindric or angular, climbing, juice watery. Leaves alternate, 

 petioled, palminerved, often palmilobed, usually cordate ; tendrils simple or 

 branching, springing singly in the same plane with the leaves. Flowees monoecious 

 or dioecious, very rarely 5 j axillary, solitary fascicled racemed or panicled, 

 white or yellow, rarely red. Calyx usually campanulate, limb 5-toothed or -lobed, 

 imbricate in bud. Coeolla inonopetalous, rotate or campanulate, 5-lobed, sometimes 

 a little irregular (Thladdantha) , lobee entire or fringed, imbricate in bud, inserted on 

 the calycinal limb, and alternate with its divisions, distinct, or more often coherent, 

 and then adnate to the calyx, and as if continuous with its limb. Andececium 

 inserted at the bottom of the corolla, or of the calyx, composed of two 2-celled and 



' Samydacem, tribe Homalvxe ; see p. 442. — Ed. 

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