CUCURBITACEuE. 12S 



sterile; style 1; stigm as 3, fimbriate. Fruit 8-celled, many- 

 seeded. — A slender climbing annual, with simple tendrUs. 

 Jive lobed leaves, and small yellowish flowers. 



M. pendula, L. Small Creeping Cucumber. 



Leaves roundish-cordate, 5-lobed or angled, slightly hispid; flowers axillary, th« 

 sterile in small racemes, the fertile solitary, on long peduncles. 



Banks of streams. June, July. A slender vine, climbing over other vegetable* 

 Leaves 1 to 2 inches in diameter, on petioles. Tendrils 5 to 6 inches long. Flown 

 ▼eHoirijh, small. FruU small, ovaL 



CULTIVATED EXOTICS. 



4. MOMORDICA. Linn. 



Flowers monoecious. Calyx 5-cleft. Petals 5, united 

 at the base. Stamens 5, triadelphous. Style 3-cleft; 

 pepo fleshy, bursting elastically. Seeds compressed with a 

 fleshy arillus. — An annual climbing herb, with simple tendrils, 

 palmately lobed, leaves, and pale yellow flowers. 



M. Balsamina, L. €ommon Balsam Apple. 



Leaves palmately 5-lobed, dentate, naked, shining; peduncles solitary, filiform, 

 1-flowered, with an orbicular-cordate dentate bract above the middle; frteii 

 roundish-ovoid, angular, tuberculate, bursting elastically on one side. Native of 

 the East Indies. Stem slender, climbing by simple tendrils. Flowers pale-yellow, 

 Fruit orange-color, balsamic and eatable. 



5. CUCUMIS. Linn. 



Celtic, cuce, a hollow vesseL 



Flowers monoecious or perfect. Calyx tubular, bell- 

 shaped, with awl-shaped segments; corolla deeply 5-parted. 

 Stamens 5, triadelphous. Style short; stigmas 3, thick, 

 2-lobed; pepo fleshy, indehiscent. Seeds ovate, flat, acute 

 and not margined at the edge. — Annual herbs, creeping or 

 climbing by tendrils, alternate leaves, and axillary solitary 

 yellow flowers. 



1. C. sativus, L. Common Cucumber. 



Stem, prostrate, rough; tendrils simple; leaves sub-cordate, palmately 5-angled or 

 lobed, lobes sub-entire, acute, terminal one longest; fruit oblong, obtusely pris- 

 matic, prickly on a short peduncle. Native of Tartary and India. Numerous 

 varieties are now cultivated for the table. Gathered and eaten before maturity. 

 June— Sept. 



2. C. Melo, L. Musk Melon. 



Stem prostrate, rough; tendrils simple; leaves sub-cordate, roundish, obtuse, 

 5>almately 5-angled; lobes rounded, obtuse, obscurely denticu)ate; > /tou/er$pi6tin*te, 

 per&ct, and itaminate, the perfect on short pedjanefcs; fruit oval or cub-globose, 



