210 MENTZELIA ORDER 



1. Flowers 1-2 cm. wide; petals 5, yellow 



a. Leaves sessile, ovate to lance-linear, entire to 



sometimes pinnatifid M. albicaulis 



b. Leaves with a distinct short petiole, ovate to 



oblong,, toothed or angled M. oligospermia 



2. Flowers 1-5 in. wide; petals usually 10, cream- 



colored or yellow 



a. Flowers cream-colored, opening at evening and 



closing in the morning 



(1) Flowers 1.5-2.5 in. wide M.nuda 



(2) Flowers 3-5 in. wide M. omdta 



b. Flowers yellow or golden 



(1) Flowers 1-2 in. wide, usually opening in 



the evening M. multiflora 



(2) Flowers 2.5-5 in. wide, day-blooming M. levicaulis 



CUCURBITACEAE GOURD FAMILY 

 Sepals usually 5, united and grown to the ovary, petals usually 5, 

 separate or united, stamens usually 3, ovary 1-3-celled, style simple or 

 lobed, fruit a pepo, splitting or non-splitting ; flowers solitary or in racemes, 

 monoecious or dioecious ; climbing or trailing herbaceous vines with alter- 

 nate lobed leaves. 



1. Flowers solitary, yellow; trailing vine Cucurbita 



2. Flowers in a raceme, greenish-white ; climbing or 



clambering Micrampelis 



Cucurbita Linne 1753 Wild Pumpkin 

 (The Latin name of the gourd) 

 Sepals 5, united into a bell-shaped calyx, petals 5, yellow, united, 

 stamen flower with 3 stamens, pistil flower with a 1 -celled ovary, stigmas 

 3-5, sterile stamens 3, fruit a pepo with a thick rind ; flowers single, axillary, 

 monoecious ; leaves lobed, toothed ; stems prostrate, tendril-bearing. 

 Stems 5-20 ft. long; leaves 4-12 in. long; flowers 2-4 



in. long C. foetidissitna 



Micrampelis Rafinesque 1808 Wild Cucumber 

 (Gr. mikros, small, ampclis, vine) 

 (Echinocystis T. & G.) 

 Sepals 5-6, united into a bell-shaped calyx, petals 5-6, white, united, 

 stamen flower with 3 stamens, pistil flower with a 2-celled ovary, fruit more 

 or less bladdery, 1-2-celled, densely spiny; flowers in racemes, monoecious; 

 leaves digitately 3-7-lobed ; annual climber with tendrils. 

 Stems 10-25 ft. high; leaves 2-5 in. long; fruit flat el- 

 liptic, 1.5-2 in. long M. lobcita 



