The Vegetable World: Being a History of Plants, with Their Botanical Descriptions and Peculiar Properties

MENISPERMALS.

Diclinous Exogens with monodichlamydeous flowers, disunited carpels, and embryo surrounded with abundant albumen, distinguished externally by their scrambling habit, and unisexual flowers, connecting them with Cucurbitals in the one direction, and the Nutmegs and Anonee in another.

PendingBro or shrubs, with apetalous flowers, periginous stamens, and minute embryoat the end of a copious fleshy albu- XCIX. Monimiacez.

Beem oo Australia and Chili, with axillary flowers forming sean facemes, wii aes deciduous bracts, tubular gat“divided into C. Antheraspermacem, i d Bere tor the anthers opening by recurvedvalves, as in the = ous trees, with axillary inflorescence, terminating in icles, sm; r pan al we agg exual flowers, oftenaf withith oneone short cocowl- CI, - Myristicacezx. mies bract! as in Colum

shinin, x exogenouscane with alternate compound leaves with-| out stipules, parietal — minu he embeyots ——— With ththe CII, Lardizabalacex. aang Duras iexcepti Madagascar genera, they belongto temperat oe ede ie shrubs of the Indian Isles and hotter parts of rth America, with h ous stamens, egies seed, and minute alb.cee in abun ant solid albumen; fru CII. Svhizandracez. dant solid albume

A numerous ordersarme: of exogenous shrubs,wii. ia flexible tissueseas in neceous habit, entire alternate spondiagSega palmate, nerved CIV, Menispermacez,alw. ‘os ifoltumtum; flowers sm: all, racemes dicecious,©) not ays unisexual, rarely bisexualororpolygamous. y

The Menispermals, while possessing many features in common present very extreme differences of structural arrangement, which led Dr. Lindley to adopt the following division of the group. I. Heteroclinee, having the embryo homotropous; cotyledons foliaceous.. Anospermee: sepals imbricate or overlapping; embryo transverse;cotyledons accumbent, curved;albumen abundant round the embryo. III. Tiliacoree: inner row of sepals

5 valvate in wstivation; embryo bent or curved; cotyledons long, narrow, and incumbent; radicle short and curved. IV. Leptogonee. sepals imbricate in estivation;stamens distinct or united in a central column; embryo bent or curved;cotyledons long, slender, curved ina firm nearly annular;albumen simple and small in quantity. V. Platygonee: embryo barred: cotyledons elongated, flat, incumbent, curved in a horse-shoe oc. enclosed in albumen, small in quantity. WI. Pachygonee: inner row of sepals often imbricate, sometimes valvate in estivation;embryo without albumen; cotyledons large, thick, fleshy, incumbent, curved hemicyclically; radicle small. The plants of this order are common within the tropics in Asia and America; climbing among the forest trees to agreat height, and remarkably tenacious of life—broken branches throwing oe slender thread-like shoots, which rapidly establish a connection with the soil. Forty-four genera, and three hundred and two species.

CucurRBITALS. Diclinous Exogens, with monodichlamydous flowers, inferior ovary, placenta more or less parietal, embryo without oy trace albumen. The Cucumbersare a naturalorder of climbing or trailing plants, = unisexual monopetalows |flowers, Borwrod wentegers and pulpy fruit, climbing |. cv. Cucurbitace®- by means of tendrils formed of _— shosoeaetforage Penis é palmate ribbed leaves; they are natives afh chieflywithin: the tropics of both rag spout ous branching exogenous plants or trees of considerable si ae with apetalous flowers, parietal pe netsy anda desderuit. The few pater CVI. Datiscace®- which constitute the order are natives of North America, Siberia, Northern India, the Indian Archipelago, and

Herbaceo'ous exogens, oFunder shrubs, leaves alternate, toothed, oblique at the base; stip rge, scarious; flojowers unisexualin cymes. CVII. Bigoniace®- of the species weenie the Gasman in their climbing habits, having. been observedscrambling up trees and shrubs to the height of 30 | i eet. The Cucurbitals, either climbing by means of ten plants with unisexual flowers, have scabrous stems

lobed foliage, pulpy fruit with parictal placente. The group comprehends the Melon, Cucumber, Colocynth, Bryony, and other genera, of which Dr. Royle remarks that “they afford large and juicy fruit in the midst of the Indian desert and on the sandy islands

-of Indian rivers;nor does ive moisture appear to be injurious, as the majority of them are cultivated in the rainy season, and even on the bed of weeds floating on the Cashmere lakes.” Two principles pervade them; the one saccharine and nutritious, the other bitter, acrid, and purgative. In the Melon, the Gourd, and their allies, the first exist almost exclusively; but even here accompanied in some degree by a laxative principle. In the Colocynth, Bottle Gourd, and in some of the Luffa and Bryony, the bitter principle is strongly concentrated. The native country of the Melon is doubtful, although Linnzus places it in Tartary. To the Cucumber the same nativity is ascribed, but in each case without corroborative authority. The Colocynth. Gourd, yielding the well-known medicine, grows wild in Egypt and the countries of the Grecian Archipelago. The Water Melon, Cucumis citrullus, is extensively cultivated all over Indian and tropical countries of Africa and America.

The Cucursrracex embracing the Cucumber, Melon, and some kinds of Gourd, are species of the Cucumis. Their forms vary considerably. Their culture appears to be as ancient in Asia as that of the most ancient of vegetables. Their characteristics are: the flowers monecious, the male flowers solitary, growing at the axils of the leaves, or more often fasciculated by the contraction of the fommon peduncle, the calyx ¢ylindrical, hollow, and campanulate, with five toothed and five ovoid acute and spreading petals. 1ere are three free stamens, two being entire, binocular, the other unilocular,with anther-celled flexuoils, a prolonged connective above the anthers, having a soft oblong superficial gland, simple in the one stamen, unilocular or bifid in the others. The female flowers are solitary, and composed of a fine dentate calyx, a corolla analogous fo that of the flower stamens, with an inferior three-celled ovary, surmounted by a short style with three thick stigmata. The Ovarium was originally unilocular, with three parietal pla- Cente, charged each with two series of ovules, which are advanced the centre of the cavity, where they are reunited, and

where they soon become fleshy. The fruit is a smooth or warted fleshy berry. The seeds are oval, more or less compressed, and containing a straight embryo destitute of albumen.

The Cucumis are herbs with simple alternate leaves, each having a lateral tendril. The Melon is an annual Cucumis, cordate at the base, sometimes reniform, sometimes three, five, or seven lobed, with a rounded sinus. Its fruit, which varies very much in shape, generally encloses a sweet fleshy substance, and many are without prickles. It is principally upon the modifications of the fruit that the classification of the Melons into several tribes has been adopted. They are again sub-divided into secondary groups, of which we will give a rapid glance.

The Cantaloupe Melons form a group rather characteristic. In the principal varieties, the fruit is of large dimensions, varying

in shape from that of a very depressed sphere to an ovoid oblong, more or less prominent, with smooth or warty skin. The flesh of the Melon, properly speaking, is thick, of a reddish orange colour, delicate, melting, and succulent. All these Melons turn yellow when ripening, and then exhale an agreeable odour.

Another group is that of the Ribbed Melon, which comprises the Market Melon, and some others cultivated largely in the gardens round London and Paris. The Sugary Melons are ranked in the third class. Their flesh is white or greenish, with a sweeter and more penetrating perfume than the Cantaloupes; they are also delicate, melting, and sugary: The Winter Melons form a fourth group, of which the finest is the Winter Melon of Provence, OFEuropean representative Cavailon Melon. The skin of this variety is thin, and its - colour;very thick and firm, and of a white, pale, yellowish-green according to the variety, without perfume, but melting and very sweet. It is highly esteemed in the South of France‘and Europ’ where it is cultivated on a large scale. This excellent frul the markets of the South of France during encumbersabsolutely a great part of the summer and autumn. It is also being introduced into Paris. But we must pause in our enumeration of these alimentary fruits, or we should pass the limits of this work. oe Another species of the Cucumis tribe is the tribe of —_.: 10 vinegat, the young fruits of which, preserved sativa),(Cucumis

appear on our tables as a condiment, under the name of Gherkins; and the Cucumber, as it is now produced in gentlemen’s gardens, as well as in our market gardens, is a triumph of art over nature. Many other species of the family of the Cucurbitacee are worthy

Fig. 388.—Male and Female Fl of the Melon,

of an attentive examination. Among these we may mention the great American Gourd (C. maxima), the Pumpkin (C melopepo), the Gourd of St. John (C. pepo).

The genus Citrud/us furnishes us with the Water Melon, a large, globular, smooth, green fruit, with a sweet and acid flavour, and a very refreshing odour. The Cucumis colocynthis, whose globular, glabrous, yellow fruit, with thin rind and very bitter flesh, is at once a purgative and a vomit. The Bryonia dioica, one Species of which, commonly known under the name, decorates our hedges with its charming little round, red, sometimes yellow,

berries. It is a perennial, with large succulent roots, from which springs a slender, pale green, hairy stem, which climbs among bushes by means of its tendrils, after the manner of the Cucumbers. The leaves are palmate and rough on both sides, with callous points. The stamens and pistils are on different plants, the stamen-flowers being largest, with bluish pale-green veins. The pistiliferous flowers are succeeded by the berries.

PApayYALs..

Diclinous exogens, with dichlamydeous flowers, superior carpels, consolidated placents, parietal embryo, surrounded by abundant albumen. Eleven genera; twenty-nine species.

Exogenous trees and shrubs, with monopetalous flowers without scales, with alternate lobed leaves, and long taper petioles; flowers unisexual CVI. Papayacee. in axillary racemes, gometimes solitary, with free ovary, five parietal placentz, albuminous seeds. lobed,”polypetslous unisesoal axillary‘Sowece, acltky, inbundles, 8 { crx, Pangincer in few flowering racemes.

The Papaw-tree (Carica Papaya) has the singular property, according to Dr. Hooker, of rendering the toughest animal substances tender; newly-killed meat, suspended among its branches, becomes tender in a wonderfully short time. Old hogs and poultry soon fatten when fed upon its leaves; the leaves are also y the negroes as a substitute for soap. Some of the Caraya are deadly poisons. se The Paneracea are mostly natives of the hotter parts of Tndis- All are poisonous plants, but contain valuable medicinal aie perties.

HYPOGYNOUS EXOGENS.

The insertion of the stamens below the ovary in plants has been considered of systematic importance by many French botanists, which has led Dr. Lindley to establish this Sub-Class. They are distinguished by the total absence of floral envelopes, and among them the presence of petals seems to be of little moment. Flowers bisexual, unisexual, separate or on the same plant; stamens entirely free from the calyx or corolla.

VIOLALS.

Hypogynous exogens, with monodichlamydeous flowers, parietal or sutural placentæ; embryo straight, with little or no albumen.