Botany. 176 
of these is the Wild Pumpkin {Cucurbitale /^r^wwV Gray), which pro- 
duces a trailing stem, bearing triangular, woolly pubescent leaves, 
whose blades are six to eight inches in length. The fruits are about 
the size of an orange, and are perfectly spherical in shape. When 
ripe they are yellow with some greenish longitudinal markings. In- 
ternally they are exceedingly fibrous, and contain a great number of 
seeds (about 200) which are about one-third of an inch in length 
But the root is the remarkable part of the plant. Two specimens 
ere brought to my laboratory last fall, figures of which are given 
irewith. The largest (Fig. i) measured when first dug nearly seven 
et m length, and at the top or crown had a diameter of fully eleven 
ches. The crown is curiously hollowed out, as shown in Fig. 3, 
'e cavity bemg fully six inches in depth. The inside of the cavity 
