sort of stalk, formed from the contraction 

 of the hase of the fruit itself, so that 

 they are not really hut only apparently 

 stalked. They are shrubs frequently of 

 climbing habit, indigenous in the tropics 

 of Asia and Africa. C. officinalis, a native 

 of Java, furnishes the cubeb fruits of com- 



Cubeba canina. 



nierce, which are like black pepper but 

 stalked. They have an acrid hot aromatic 

 taste, and are specially useful in diseases 

 of the bladder and urinary passages. In 

 large doses they give rise to symptoms of 

 irritant poisoning. C. canina is also said 

 \ to furnish some portion of the commercial 

 cubebs. [M. T. M.] 



CUBEBS. The fruits of various species 

 of Cubeba, as C. officinalis, C. canina, and 

 others. 



CUCHUNCHULLY or CUICHUNCHUL- 

 LI. Ionidium microphyllum. 

 CUCKOLD TREE. Acacia comigera. 



CUCKOO-FLOWER. Cardamine praten- 

 sis ; also Lychnis Flos-cuculi. 



CUCKOO-PINT. Arum maculatum. 



CUCUBALUS. A genus of Caryophyl- 

 lacem, of the tribe Silenece, containing a 

 single European herb which has been 

 found in the Isle of Dogs, hut doubtless 

 introduced. It has trailing stems, opposite 

 ovate leaves, and shortly stalked drooping 

 whitish flowers in dichotomous cymes. 

 The calyx is bell-shaped ; the petals deeply 

 cleft ; stamens ten ; styles three ; fruit a 

 globular berry, at first reddish, but black 

 when ripe ; seeds numerous. [J. T. S.] 



CUCULLATE. When the apex or sides 

 of anything are curved inwards, so as to 

 resemble the point of a slipper, or a hood 

 as in the lip of Cypripedium and Calypso. 



CUCULLUS. A hood or terminal hollow. 



CUCUMBER. Cucumis sativa. — , BIT- 

 TER. Citrullus or Cucumis Colocimihis, 

 commonly called Colocynth. — , INDIAN. 

 Medeola virginica. — , ONE-SEEDED STAR. 

 An American name for Sicyos. —, SINGLE- 



SEEDED. A common name for Sicyos. 

 — , SNAKE. Trichosanthes colubrina ; also 

 Cucumis flexuosus. — , SPIRTING or 

 SQUIRTING. Ecbalium agreste, formerly 

 called Momordica Elaterium. 



CUCUMBER-ROOT. An American name 

 for Medeola. 



CUCUMBER-TREE. An American name 

 for Magnolia acuminata and M. Frazeri. 



CUCUMBERTS. A name proposed for 

 the CucurbitacecB. 



CUCUMIS. A genus of Cucurbitacew, 

 comprising a number of species, among 

 which the most remarkable are the Cucum- j 

 ber, C. sativus, so well known as one of our 

 most ancient table esculents, and the 

 Melon, C. Melo, equally familiar to us as one 

 of our most ancient and luscious fruits. 

 Some of the species possess valuable medi- 

 cinal ' properties, Nearly all are annuals 

 and natives of the wanner parts of Asia, 

 Africa, and America. It is worthy of note 

 that the tender tops of all the edible spe- 

 cies of Cucurbitacece, boiled as greens or 

 spinach, are even a more delicate vegetable 

 than the fruit. 



The Cucumber, C. sativus, is a tender 

 annual, having rough trailing stems, with 

 large angular leaves, and yellow male and 

 female flowers borne in the axils of the 

 leaf stalks. It is a native of Asia and Egypt, 

 where it has been cultivated for more than 

 3,000 years. It is mentioned as one of the 

 things for which the Israelites longed while 

 in the wilderness, and complained to Moses 

 (Numbers xi. 5). At a very early period it 

 was grown by the Greeks and Romans, and 

 according to Pliny, the Emperor Tiberius 

 had Cucumbers at his table every day in 

 the year. They were known in England in 

 the time of Edward III. (1327), but during 

 the wars of the Houses of York and Lan- 

 caster their cultivation was neglected, and 

 the plant lost until the reign of Henry 

 VIII., when it was again introduced. Since 

 then it has gradually increased in public 

 favour until it has now become of such 

 importance as to be an object of rivalry 

 with gardeners to produce fruit for the 

 great and wealthy at all seasons. In sum- 

 mer such is the demand for this esculent 

 that in order to obtain a sufficient supply, 

 it is grown extensively in forcing frames, 

 and in the counties near the metropolis, 

 whole fields are devoted to cucumbers as a 

 crop. Although cold and watery, and by 

 some considered unwholesome, still the 

 fruits are generally much esteemed as form- 

 ing a most grateful salad when cut into 

 very thin slices, and dressed with vinegar, 

 &c. In a young state when small they are 

 called Gherkins, and are in great request 

 for preserving in vinegar, or for pickling 

 with other vegetables. It is recorded that 

 the village of Sandy in Bedfordshire has 

 been known to furnish for the London 

 market, 10,000 bushels for this purpose in 

 one week! [W. B. B.] 



The Melon, C. Melo, is the Pepon of Dios- 

 corides, the Melopepon of Galen, and the 

 Melo of Pliny. In Greece at the present 



