138 



WEEDS AND USEFUL PLANTS. 



Order XXX. CUCUEBITA'CE^. (Gourd Family.) 



Herbaceous mostly succulent vines with tendrils, alternate palmately veined or lobcd 

 haves and monoecious or dioecious (often monopetalous) floweis. Calyx of 4-5 (rarely 6) 

 sepals, united into a tube, and in the fertile flowers adherent to the ovary. Petals as 

 many as the sepals, more or less united, and cohering with the calyx. Stamens 8-5 in- 

 serted into the base of the corolla or calyx, distinct or variously united by their filaments 

 and long, mostly tortuous, anthers. Ovary 1-3-celled, — the thick fleshy pZctcente often 

 filling the cells ; stigmas thick, dilated or fringed. Fruit (Pepo) usuahy fleshy, with a 

 firm (sometimes a ligneous and occasionally a membranous) rind. Seeds flat, destitute of 

 albumen ; cotyledons foliaceous. 



This Order — so well known for its culinary products — contains some which are pos- 

 sessed of active medicinal properties (such as the Colocynth, of the shops — Cucumis Colocyn- 

 this, L.) ; but few, if any, of Agricultural interest, beyond those here mentioned. 



* Petals connected at the base mly. 

 1. LAGENA'RIA, Ser. GoUrd. 



[Greek, Lagenos, a flagon or bottle ; from the shape of the fruit.] 



Calyx campanulate or subturbinate, S-toothed, — the segments subulate- 

 lanceolate, shorter than the tube. Petals 5, obovate, inserted within and 

 beneath the margin of the calyx. Stamens 5, triadelphous, the fifth one 

 free. Stigmas 3, subsessile, thick, 2-lobed, granular. Fruit at first 

 fleshy and pubescent, finally with a smooth ligneous rind. Seeds com- 

 pressed, obovate, somewhat 2-lobed at apex, the margin tumid. 

 1. L. vulga'ris, Ser. Softly pubescent ; stem climbing ; leaves round- 

 ish-cordate, acuminate, denticulate, with two glands at base ; fruit cla- 

 vate-ventricose. 



Common Lagenaria. Calabash. Bottle Gourd. 



Fr. Calebasse. Germ. Der Kuerbiss. Span. Calabaza. 



Whole plant somewhat viscid, and emitting a fetid musky odor. Stem 10-15 or 20 feet 

 long, slender, branching, climbing hy tendrils vfhich are 2-4-cleft. Leaves 4-6 or 8 in- 

 ches long ; petioles 2-6 inches long Flowers axillary, on long peduncles ; coroZZa, white, 

 with green nerves and veins. Fruit 12-18 inches long, and 4-6 or 8 inches in diameter, 

 unequally bi-veutricose, finally nearly hollow or partially filled with the loose dry sube- 

 rose placenlce, — the rind yellowish or pale brown, thin and hard. Seeds in a dry mem- 

 branous arillus. 



Gardens and lots : cultivated. Native of the tropical regions. jFZ. July -August. F)\ 

 September - October. 



Ohs. The thin firm woody shell of the fruit affords a very convenient 

 kitchen utensil, — and the plant is sometimes cultivated for the sake of 

 that fruit, by cottagers and farmers v/ho cannot afford, or do not choose 

 to purchase more costly utensils. 



There is cultivated occasionally, for the table, a cucurbitaceous fruit 

 of extraordinary length, called Yegetable Marrow," — which seems to 

 belong to this species, and perhaps may be the var. clavata of Seringe. 



2. CU'CUMIS, L. Cucumber and Melon. 



[Said to be derived from the Celtic, Cucc, a hollow vessel.] 



Calyx tubular-campanulate, 5-toothed, — the teeth subulate, scarcely aa 

 long as the tube. Petah 5, nearly distinct and but slightly adnate to 



