MONOECIA MOXADELPHIA 551 



Mo? A. caroliniana. Hart. Phil. 2. p. 184. Florul. Ccstr. p. 108. 



Beck, h c Not of Ell. &c. 



Virginia* Acaltpha. Vulgo — Three-seeded Mercury. 



Root annual, fibrous. Stem 9 10 18 inches high, terete, or sometimes a little 

 angular, often striate, more or less pubescent and pilose, branching,— the branches 

 often with the leaves and involucres crowded, like a leafy raceme, and dark 

 purple. Leaves 1 to 3 inches long, and 1 third of an inch to near 2 inches wide, 

 varying from ovate and rhomboid-ovate to lance-oblong, tapering to the apex, but 

 rather obtuse, more or less crenate-serrate, sometimes obscurely so, entire at 

 bise, 3-nerved, pilose, and rough with minute dots ; petioles 1 fourth of an inch to 

 2 inches long, slender, striate, pilose ; stipules minute, subulate-linear. Flowers 

 minute, axillary, with a pedicellate bract-like involucre. Staminate flowers very 

 minute, in a small interrupted pedunculate spike which is longer than the invo- 

 lucre, and inserted at its cordate base. Involucre 1 third to half an inch lone, 

 roundish or broad-cordate, acuminate, concave or sub-campanulate, nerved, rough- 

 UuVdolted, pilose, and often hirsutely ciliate, cleft into unequal lance-oblong see- 

 ments about half way to the base. Pistillate flower at the base of the invohicre 

 and peduncle of the staminate spike. Capsule 3-lobed, or of 3 united cells, hirsute, 

 —the valves elastic, and involute after bursting. Seeds ovoid, punctate, dark 

 purplish-brown, often maculate with whitish spots. 



Bab. Pastures ; woodlands, <fcc. common. Fl. July— Aug. Fr. Sept— Octo. 



Obs. This plant (which, in its general habit, somewhat resembles Parietaria 

 pennsyhanica) presents some striking variet ies ,-onc of which I supposed, when 

 I published my Catalogue, might be the A. caroliniana ; but I have since seen that 

 species, and find it to be quite distinct. It is doubtful, indeed, whether the two 

 plants belong to the same genus ; and if not, the present is the oniy known species 

 in the U. States. 



441. LAGENARIA. Ser. DC. Prodr. 3. p. 299. 

 [Greek, Lage7ios y a flagon, or bottle ; from the shape of the fruit.] 



Calyx campanulate, 5-toothed ; teeth lance-subulate, shorter than the 

 tube. Petals 5, obovate, adnate to the calyx below its margin. Stam- 

 i.vatk Fl. Stamens 5, triadelphous, the fifth one free ; anthers 2-ceIlrd 

 very long and tortuous. Pistillate Fl. Ovary inferior; style 

 scarcely any ; stigmas 3, thick, 2-lobed, granular. Fruit a ligneous 

 pepo, l-celled, with 3 parietal placenta*. Seeds arillate, obovate, com- 

 pressed, 2-lobed at apex, the margin tumid. 



Herbaceous: mostly climbing by tendrils; leaves alternate, cordate, palmate- 

 nerved; flowers axillary, solitary, pedunculate. Nat. Ord. 181. Lindl. Cltur- 



mxcBM. 



1. L. vulgaris, Ser. Softlt/ pubescent ; stem climbing ; leaves 

 roundish-cordate, denticulate, biglandular at base ,• fruit clavate- 

 ventneose, ligneous and smooth at maturity. DC. Prodr. 3. p. 299. 

 Cucurbita Lagenaria. L. and the Authors, generally, here cited. 

 Coxmok Lagewabia. Vulgo— Calabash. Bottle Gourd. 

 Gi\\\ci—Calebasse. Germ.— I)er Kuerbiss. Uisp.—Calabaza. 



Whole plant softly pubescent, somewhat viscid, and emitting afcetid musku 

 vlor Root annual. Stem 10 to 13 or ZO/eet long, slender, branching, climbing 

 byhttral branching tendrils. Leaves 4 to 6 or 8 inches long, and about as wide 

 uiong, roundiih-cordate, with a short slender acununalion, denticulate, palmate- 



