844 
lxv. cucurbitace^e. [ Trichosanthes . 
racemose, gradually lengthening. Bracts often large laciniate, or 
small or 0. Female flower solitary. Male calyx long tubular; 
lobes 5, lanceolate, entire or serrate. Corolla 5-lobed, lobes fimbriate, 
Stamens 3 ; anthers linear conduplicate, one i-celled, two 2-celled. 
Female as in male; stamens o. Ovary inferior i-celled; style 
filiform, 3- to 6-fid at top. Fruit oblong or globose, red. Seeds 
many in greenish black pulp, ellipsoid. Species 38, Indo-Malaya, 
China, Japan, Australia. 
Usually lofty climbers; flowers opening at 12 o’clock at night, fragrant, 
falling by morning. Fruits very showy, scarlet, usually egg-shaped, and 
commonly called “Easter eggs.” The plant often dies down after flowering, 
when the fruit is ripe, so that the brilliant fruits are very conspicuous on the 
dead stems. 
Leaves lobed, not trifoliate. 
Male inflorescence ebracteate . . . . (i) T. cucumerina 
Male inflorescence bracteate. 
Bracts distant, ovate, slightly toothed . . (2) T. tricuspidata 
Bracts crowded, long, laciniate. 
Leaves broad-lobed; fruit globular ; sepals laciniate. (3) T. palmata 
Leaves long, narrow-lobed; fruit ellipsoid . . (4) T. Wallichiana 
Leaves adult trifoliate. 
Leaves membranous . . . . . . (5) T. Wawraei 
Leaves coriaceous . (6) T. celebica 
(1) T. cucumerina Linn. Sfi. PL 1008; King, lx. 27. 
Leaves membranous orbicular-reniform to broad ovate, edges 
denticulate, often 3- to 7-lobed; lobes broad acute, base cordate, 
above sparse pubescent, beneath pubescent, later scabrid, 2 to 
4 in. long and wide; petioles 1 to 2 in. long, pubescent. Male 
peduncles pubescent, ebracteate. Flowers -5 to 1 in. across, tube 
•9 to *3 in. long. Female peduncle -5 in. long. Fruit 1 to 3 in. 
long, ovoid, apex conic, red. Seed elliptic corrugate. Hab. Perak 
(Kunstler). Perhaps only cultivated or an escape. I have seen 
no specimen, but King says it has larger flowers than the Indian 
plant and is doubtful about its identity. Dislrib. India. 
(2) T. tricuspidata Lour. Flor. Cochinchine, ii. 723; King, 
lx. 28. 
Slender climber. Leaves membranous, ovate-subtriangular; 
lobes 3 to 5, triangular, base cordate, acute or acuminate or sub¬ 
entire, glabrous, 3 to 5 in. long and as wide; petioles slender, 
1 to 1*5 in. long. Male peduncles floriferous for half the length, 
stout, 6 in. or more long. Bracts ovate, lanceolate caudate, entire 
or toothed. Calyx-tube shortly dense tomentose; lobes caudate 
toothed. Corolla 1*5 in. wide. Female flower, from same axil 
as male peduncle, tube 1-5 in. long. Fruit sub-globose, 2 in. 
through, red. Seeds ovate, -5 in. long. Hab. Thickets. Pahang, 
Pulau Chengei, Pahang River. Perak, Larut (Kunstler); Tambun, 
Ipoh. Penang (Curtis); Pulau Betong. Dislrib. Siam, Cochin 
China. Native name: Akar Katominon. 
