88 THE FLOE A OF SINGAPORE 



CuCURBITAOEiE. 



A good many of these are cultivated by the Chinese here, 

 but very few are wild. 



Trichosanthes. Slender climbing' pumpkins with white fimbriate 

 tubular flowers, opening- about ten o'clock at night, and egg 

 shaped crimson fruit yellow inside the flat seeds enclosed 

 in a dark green slimy pulp. They are said to be poisonous, 

 but are used by the natives in medicine, the pumpkin 

 being squashed on the head to cure headache. 



T. Wallichiana Wight. Very common in woods and hedges, 

 all over Singapore. 



T. Wawraei Cof/n. Not rare, Tanglin. 



T celebica Cogn. Leaves deep green rather stiff and shining 

 trifoliate. The fruit much larger and cvlindrical oblong. 

 Tanglin, Choa Ohu Kang. 



Commonly cultivated and sometimes occurring in waste 

 ground are Lagenaria vulgaris Ser. Bottlegourd ; Luffa cegt/ptiaca 

 Mill. " Petola ;" Momordica ckarantia L ; Cucumis sativa " Ti- 

 uion," cucumber : Citrullus vulgaris Schrad. Water melon ; 

 Cucurbita moschatd Duch. C. pepo De C. " Labu," and Beniucasa 

 cerifera Savi. " Kundur." 



FlCOlDE^]. 



Sesuvium portulacastrum L. Herb, flowers pink. Tidal mud, 

 Changi, Tampeois road. 



Mollugo stricta L. " Tapak Burong." A small weed with white 

 flowers. Common, Tanglin, Changi. 



Umbellifeile. 



This order, as el.-e where in the tropics, is very scantily 

 represented. I have doubts as to any of the species being native. 



IhjdrocotyU asiatica L. " Pegaga." A very variable creeping 

 herb, much in request as a salad and as medicine, it is 

 regularly collected and sold in the herb shops. Very 

 common over the whole island in grassy spots. 



