XLI. CU CURBIT ACEiE 
199 
Trichosanthes palmata, Boxb. ; FI. Br. Ind. ii. 606. A large, 
perennial, climbing herb ; stem angular. Leaves roughly pubes- 
cent, cordate, 2-6 in. cliam., more or less deeply 3-7-lobed, 
toothed. Tendrils branched. Flowers white, l|-3 in. diam., 
male and female usually on different plants. Male flowers on 
two axillary stalks, one bearing a solitary flower and soon falling 
off (sometimes wanting), the other a bracteate raceme, short and 
head-like at first, afterwards lengthening to 6-10 in. ; bracts 
broadly obovate, margins jagged ; calyx-tube funnel-shaped, 
1| in., lobes lanceolate, irregularly toothed ; corolla-margins 
long-fringed ; filaments very short. Female flowers solitary, 
axillary, shortly stalked ; calyx and corolla nearly as in the male ; 
ovary ovoid, narrowed upwards ; style 1 in., tip 3 -cleft ; ovules 
numerous. Fruit smooth, globose, 1 J-2 in. diam., indehiscent, red, 
striped with orange ; seeds flattened, immersed in dark green pulp. 
Valleys below Simla, 5th Waterfall ; June-September. — Throughout India, 
ascending to 5000 ft. — Asia, N. Australia. 
2. HERPETOSPERMUM. From the Greek herpetos, creeping, 
and sperma, a seed : the seeds somewhat resemble a small beetle. — 
Temperate Himalaya. 
Herpetospermum caudigerum, Wall. ; FI. Br. Ind. ii. 613. A 
large, nearly glabrous, climbing herb. Leaves slightly rough- 
pubescent, long-stalked, broadly cordate-ovate, 2-6 in. across, 
toothed, often lobed, long-pointed. Tendrils branched. Flowers 
bright yellow, 1J-2 in. diam., male and female on different plants. 
Male flowers racemed ; calyx-tube funnel-shaped, f-1 in. long, 
lobes linear ; corolla-margins entire ; filaments very short, anthers 
united. Female flowers solitary, shortly stalked ; calyx and 
corolla nearly as in the male ; ovary ovoid, narrowed upwards ; 
style | in., tip 3-cleft, stigmas 2-lobed ; ovules 4 hi each cell. 
Capsule ovoid, 3xl| in., narrowed to both ends, opening by 3 
valves ; seeds 12, flattened, oblong, \ in. long, minutely pointed 
at one end, embedded in a fibrous, nearly dry pulp. 
Valleys below Simla ; August, September. — Bhotan to Simla, 5000-8000 ft. 
3. MUKIA. Adapted from Mucca , the name given to M. 
scabrella in Rheede’s Hort. Mai. viii. t. 13. — Asia, Africa, 
Australia. 
Mukia scabrella, Am. ; FI. Br. Ind. ii. 623. An annual, climb- 
ing herb ; stems and leaves very rough, bristly or covered with 
minute, sharp points. Leaves broadly cordate-ovate, l|-3 in. 
across, toothed, more or less 3-lobed or -angled, long-pointed. 
Tendrils unbranched. Flowers yellow, less than J in. diam., 
nearly sessile, solitary or in small clusters, male and female on 
