IOWA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 
147 
Crozier^ says in regard to the watermelon: “In making some 
crosses to-day on the Volga watermelon, a variety from South- 
ern Russia, I discovered that the so-called pistillate flowers 
possessed stamens.” As I had not given the subject much 
attention, I was surprised to find that some of the flowers of 
Citrullus vulgaris were perfect. The different varieties were 
noted, and the observations show that Cuban Queen is strictly 
monoecious; frequently very small rudimentary stamens occur, 
but they are always sterile. This is also true of Colorado Pre- 
serving, which is strictly monoecious. Mountain Sweet and 
Peerless are monoecious, with rudimentary stamens. In the 
citron the flowers are monoecious. In New White Gem all of the 
pistillate flowers had stamens The number of stamens varied 
from two to three. 
Cucumis sativus (Improved Long Green, Early Russian and 
Early Green Clusteiy, monoecious. 
Bailey‘s has called attention to the fact that some varieties of 
Cucumis melo have perfect flowers. Munson^ also mentions the 
fact. “ The female blossoms on the variety under consideration, 
‘Emerald Gem,’ were found to bear partially developed sta- 
mens.” At Ames the large Yellow Cantelope, Improved Green 
Nutmeg, and Montreal Improved had perfect flowers. 
All of the forms of Cucurbita pepo (New Golden Bush, Italian 
Striped, Sweet Sugar, Long Warted, Nest Egg, Gourd, Common 
Pumpkin and Perfect Gem) are strictly monoecious. Cucurbita 
maxima (Hubbard, American Turban, Mammoth Chili, New 
Mediterranean, New Prolific Marrow), flowers monoecious. 
Lagenaria vulgaris (Dipper Gourd), monoecious. 
POLLINATION. 
Cucurbita maxima Duch. The flowers are large yellow, and in 
some forms like the Hubbard have a very pleasant odor. The 
corolla is five cleft and adherent to the bell- shaped tube of the 
calyx. The flowers are therefore of easy access to insects. The 
staminate flowers differ in some important respects from the 
pistillate. In the former the nectar is contained in the lower 
part of the staminal tube, and an insect in searching for the 
same goes over the stamens down along the grooves of the 
united filaments. The insect thrusts its tongue into the slit at 
the lower end. Before the flowers have been probed for nectar 
(5) Bot. Gazette, Vol. XIII, p. 244. 
(6) Third Annual Rep. Cornell University Exp. Station, p. 185. 
(7) Annual Rep. Maine State College AgrT Exp. Station, II, 1893, p. 43. 
