Cucurbitacea.} 



SANDWICH ISLANDS. 



83 



elliptical, round, and even heart-shaped foliage, in descending-; and which, from smooth and shining, as in 

 the first instance, become pubescent, downy, and more and more tomentose. Were it not for such authority, 

 we might have been induced to make several species out of this. Some forms of var. /3. are very closely allied 

 to 31. diffusa, (page 63,) and are chiefly distinguishable from it by the shape of the inflorescence, and the 

 much larger calyx and flower. The petioles, which, in the present plant we have termed short, are not more 

 than one-fourth of the length of the leaf ; this is, however, common to most of the genus, but not to the 

 following species. 



2. Metrosideros macropus; foliis oppositis ovatis longe petiolatis coriaceis glabris, corymbis 

 terminalibus, floribus pedicellatis, bracteis bracteolisque oblongo-lanceolatis per inflores- 

 centiam subpersistentibus, calycibus pedicellisque glabris. 



Rami cortice griseo tecti. Folia opposita, ovata, vel elliptico-ovata, basi obtusa, duas vel tres uncias 

 longa, sesquiunciam ad duas uncias lata, coriacea, integerrima, glabra, supra nitida, utrinque parallelim venosa, 

 inter venas reticulata, margine piano ,• petiolus unciam vel sesquiunciam longus, folio dimidio brevior. Corymbi 

 multiflori, basi bracteis oblongo-lanceolatis semiunciam longis involucrati. Pedunculi pedicellique rfabri, 

 basi bracteolis inflorescentia peracta vel citius deciduis suffulti. Calyx turbinatus, lsevis, quinquelobus, lobis 

 obtusis. Petala lobis longiora. Capsula calyce persistente infra medium cincta, globosa, 3-valvis, loculicida. 

 Semina aptera, subulata, lineam longa. 



We have been enabled to draw up this description more fully by means of specimens collected by Mr. 

 Macrae. It must be remarked that the character in which we were once inclined to place most confidence, the 

 peculiarly conspicuous bracteas during the first stage of flowering, is sometimes so considerably impaired, that 

 were it not for the uniformly long petioles, double the length, in proportion to that of the leaf, of those 

 in M. polymorphs, M. diffusa, and their allies, we had almost arranged it as a variety of the former. 



1. Jambosa Malaccensis; cymis lateralibus abbreviates, foliis ovato-lanceolatis utrinque 

 attenuatis. De Cand. Prodr. v. 3. p. 286. — Eugenia Malaccensis. Linn. — Corr. Ann. Mus. 

 9. p. 292. t. 25. / 2. 



Ord. XVII. CUCURBITACEiE. Juss. 

 1. Lagenaria vulgaris. Ser. in De Cand. Prodr. v. 3. p. 299. — Cucurbita Lagenaria. 

 Linn. 



1. Cuciunis Melo. Linn. — De Cand. Prodr. v. 3. p. 300. 



1. Sicyos pachycarpiis ; ramis glabris, foliis cordatis 5-7-lobatis denticulatis supra glabris 

 subtus papilloso-scabris, cirrhis glabris trifidis, floribus masculis paniculatis fcemineis capi- 

 tato-congestis, fructibus ovatis rostratis inermibus. 



The leaves are decidedly but not deeply five or sometimes seven-lobed ; smooth on their upper surface, 

 except towards the margin, where they are furnished with small white tubercles, similar to those which 

 cover the whole underside, and make it rough to the touch. The male flowers are in branched panicles • 

 the panicle on a peduncle about two inches long, which is axillary; the perianth is five-cleft; all the 

 filaments are connected together into a tube, at the top of which are five sessile anthers, formin<>- a little 

 head. The female flowers are numerous in each capitulum : they are sessile; but the capitulum itself is on 

 a peduncle, about three-fourths of an inch long, that springs from the same axil with that which supports 

 the males. The fruit is ovate, about a line and a half long, suddenly attenuated into a beak which is almost 

 half the length of the broad portion : many fall off before maturity, leaving only four or five to each 

 peduncle: there are no spines, but the surface appears somewhat uneven. There is one seed in each.— 

 This species appears most nearly allied to 8. microphallus, H. B. K., but differs in many particulars. It was 

 collected by Mr. Collie among- the volcanic rocks on Diamond Hill, in Oahu. 



