Page:Illustrations of Indian Botany, Vol. 2.djvu/69

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ILLUSTRATIONS OF INDIAN BOTANY.
31

in a single* row in each cell ; stigma two lobed ; fruit a capsular, elastically bursting, 3 valved peponida. E. Indies, South Africa and America.

[* This though practically correct is not theoretically so, the carpellary structure being the same here as in others; each margin has iis placenta and ovules: and though at any one section only one row appears, we do not find the ovules always attached to the same line of placenta on slicing the ovary successively from end to end but sometimes on the one, sometimes on the other side of the cell ; such at least I find it in Momordica Charantia.]

To this genus seems to belong, Muricia, Loureiro and Neurospermum, Kaf.

20. LUFFA (Cav.) Petals 5, inserted in the base of the calyx, deciduous : anthers all distinct or di-triadelphous : style 3 fid ; stigma reniform or bipartite : fruit a peponida, at length dry and internally fibrous, usually opening by a terminal lid, rarely indehiscent. East Indies and Arabia. There are 3 sections of this genus.

1st. Stamens distinct, LUffa pentandra, acutangula, and Kleinii.

2d. Stamens 3-adelphous. L. amara, Roxb. and nearly all the species of Turia, Forsk.

3d. Stamens di-adelphous — L. tuberosa, Roxb.

21. BENINCASA (Sav.) Corolla (yellow), five -parted, patent : anthers 3-adelphous : style undivided, very short; stigma large, thick, irregularly lobed and plaited : peponida, fleshy indehiscent. Asia.

22. LAGENARIA (Ser.) Corolla (white) five petaled : anthers 3-adelphous : style almost none ; stigmas 3, thick and 2-lobed : peponida fleshy and indehiscent. India, South Africa.

§ 8. — Filaments, 3-adelphous, inserted on the tube of the corolla ; connectiva entire, anthers 3 or mon-adelphous, posticous, linear, bent upwards and downwards : calyx long, tubular.

23. TRICHOSANTHES (Linn.) Segments of the corolla lacerated and fringed : anthers 3-adelphous ? or all united : style trifid ; stigmas oblong, subulate : fruit a peponida, many seeded. E. Indies.

I reunite Involucrarea to this as a mere section depending on the bracteas, the character taken from the anther not holding good, at least T Cucumerina has frequently the anthers all united, and I suspect also T. anguina ; perhaps they only become tri-adelphous after fecundating.

[In all the species I have had an opportunity of carefully examining, the anthers are monadelphous or united. The style is not trifid, nor properly speaking the stigmas subulate, as they cohere nearly to the apex by their central face, though the stigmatic surface extends for some distance outwardly, and presents a somewhat subulate outline.

In T. anguina they are never tri-adelphous, the anthers cohere to the last as represented in the accompanying figure. This last species with T. globosa, and trifoliata, Blume, and Involucrarea, Serange (T. Wallichana) form a very characteristic section, perhaps a sub-genus, distinguished by their curiously bracteated male flowers]. R. W.

24. GYMNOPETALUM (Arn.) Calyx constricted at the mouth ; corolla (yellow) 5-parted ; segments quite entire : anthers all closely cohering : fruit baccate, ovate, beaked, few-seeded : seeds large, roundish, with a blunt margin E. Indies. There are two species —

1. G. Ceylanicum (Arn.) Leaves deeply 5-lobed; perianth glabrous : Bryonia tubiflora W. and A.

2. G. Wightii (Arn.) Leaves 3-5-angle-lobed ; perianth hairy. Courtallum.

§ 9. — Filaments usually tri-adelphovs, inserted at the base of the perianth ; connectiva entire, unless when produced into appendages beyond the anthers : anthers linear, posticous, bent upwards and downwards (calyx campanulate or rarely infundibuliform.)

25. CUCUMIS (Linn.) Corolla 5-parted : anthers tri-adelphous, or all of them slightly cohering, with appendages at the apex ! Peponida fleshy, indehiscent, or rarely irregularly dehiscent, polyspermous : seeds ovate, compressed, sharp edged. Asia, Africa and America.

26. CUCURBITA (Linn.) Corolla campanulate, 5-cleft : filaments tri-adelphous at the base or quite monadelphous ; anthers all cohering, without appendages : peponida fleshy, indehiscent, polyspermous : seed with a slightly thickened edge. Asia and America.

27. ELATERIUM (Lin.) Petals scarcely united at the base : filaments monadelphous, anthers all cOhering : style thick ; stigma capitate : fruit a coriaceous, one-celled, few seeded capsule, bursting elastically by two or three valves. America.

28. SCHIZOCARPUM (Schlch.) Corolla infundibuliform, quite entire : filaments 3-adelphous : anthers all cohering; peponida many seeded, bursting by several valves that cohere by their apex. Mexico.

29. COCCINEA (W. and A.) Corolla campanulate, segments acuminated : filaments monadelphous, anthers tri-adelphous, conniving, without appendages : peponida somewhat baccate, many-seeded. [Usually of an oblong oval shape and bright red when ripe.] East Indies.

§ 10. — Filaments monadelphous, connate into a column, which is capitate at the apex, and then bearing the gyrose posticous anthers.

30. CEPHALANDRA (Schrad.) South Africa.

EXPLANATION OF PLATE 103.

ZANONIA INDICA.

1. Flowering branch (male plant) natural size.

2. Male flower, the petals removed, showing the 3-lobed calyx and insertion of the anthers.

3. An expanded flower showing the petals and stamens.

4. Corolla and calyx detached, the stamens more highly magnified, to show the form of the anther.

5. A fruit cut transversely.

6. A seed.

For this figure and dissection the draftsman is wholely responsible. It was executed while I was in England, and 1 have had no opportunity of comparing it with living plants to ascertain its accuracy. I suspect however there is an error in making it a monœcious plant.