138 calyciflora:. 



small. Petals 5, linear, shortly acuminate, concave and 

 sub-triquetrous at the apex, externally green, minutely 

 puberulous, nearly an inch in length. Filaments triadel- 

 phous, subulate at the apex, dilated and villous at the 

 base : anthers yellow, cohering so as to form a cylindri- 

 cal body with a villous tuft in the centre. Glandules 

 two, minute, at the base of the calyx. Rudiments of the 

 pistil a depressed 3-lobed glandular disk. 9 Calyx con- 

 tracted where it parts with the ovary ; afterwards dilated ; 

 contracted at the throat. Petals as in the male flowers. 

 Abortive stamens short, white, linear, ciliated, inserted 

 at the base of the petals. Glandules 3-5, surrounding the 

 base of the style, globular, yellow. Style length of the 

 corolla, compressed: stigmata 3-4, free, reflected, cordate, 

 expanded. Fruit size of a sparrow's egg, oblong, gla- 

 brous, of a reddish-orange when ripe, ]-2-celled: cells 

 1-seeded : seeds oblong, slightly-compressed. 



I have given a full description of this plant, as it has 

 not hitherto been the subject of accurate examination. 

 The appellation ficulneus employed by Plumier, is very 

 characteristic of the leaves. Browne describes the stig- 

 ma or termination of the style as divided into three thin 

 reflected lobes^ and the fruit as seldom exceeding three- 

 quarters of an inch in diameter. All parts of the plant 

 are intensely bitter. It has received from the French the 

 name of" Liane au mal des yeux." 



VI. MOMORDICA. 



Flowers monoecious, yellow or white : pedun- 

 cles uni-bractcated, filiform. £ Calyx 5-cleft, with 

 the tube very short. Corolla 5-partite. Stamens 

 3-adelphous : anthers connate. 9 Filaments 3, 

 (5-triadelphous), sterile. Stylo 3-fid. Ovary 3- 

 eelled. Fruit frequently muricated, when ripe 

 bursting elastically. Seeds compressed, reticul- 

 ated. 



Name from momordt the perfect of mordeo to chew, in 

 allusion to the appearance of the seeds. 



1. Momordica balsamina. Smooth-leaved 

 Cerasee. 

 Leaves quinquelobato-palmate coarsely toothed 





