MANUAL OF NATURAL HISTORY. 477 



3-celled; ovules 00, anatropal; placentae axile ; 

 stigmas three, sessile ; fruit capsular, mem- 

 branous, triangular, winged ; seeds 0. Na- 

 tives of the East and West Indies, South 

 America, and also Africa. 



2. Family. — Datiscads (Datiscacese). Herbs or 



trees ; leaves alternate, exstipulate ; flowers 

 in axillary racemes, or terminal panicles ; 

 male flowers, perianth 3-4-divided, stamens 

 3-7 ; anthers 2-celled ; female, perianth ad- 

 herent, 3-4-toothed ; ovary 1-celled ; ovules 

 0, anatropal ; stigmas 3-4, opposite lobes of 

 perianth ; fruit capsular, 1-celled ; seeds 

 strophiolate. Distribution scattered over 

 North America, Siberia, Northern India, 

 the Indian Archipelago, and South-Eastern 

 Europe. 



3. Family. — Gourds (Cucurbitaceae). Herbaceous, 



climbing by tendrils formed of abortive 

 stipules ; leaves alternate, usually palmate ; 

 flowers unisexual, light-coloured ; calyx 5~ 

 toothed • corolla 5-parted ; stamens five, dis- 

 tinct, or variously united ; anthers 2-celled ; 

 ovary adherent, 1-celled ; ovules solitary or 

 00 ; stigmas very thick ; fruit a pepo ; seeds 

 flat. Natives chiefly of sub-tropical and 

 warm-temperate regions, especially India. 

 Among the products are the melon, cucumber, 

 gourd, pumpkin, vegetable-marrow, also colo- 

 cynth and elaterium. 



