Order Lxvi
CUCURBITACEÆ.
Here is the station of the gourd, the melon, and the cucumber, succulent climbing vegetables, the fruit of which administers to us many of our comforts and necessities. The importance of the gourd in hot countries is of the highest degree, where, from the nature of the climate, few of those culinary vegetables that are so abundant in the north can be made to succeed. Among these tribes of climbing annuals, the papaw tree is a remarkable deviation from the ordinary character of the vegetation. Its fruit, however, and flowers are in all respects those of Cucurbitaceæ. The fruit is mostly sweet, watery, refreshing, and pleasant to the palate ; but the coloquintida gourd, the spirting cucumber, and the Trichosanthes amára, are all possessed of violent bitter, drastic, purgative qualities , which are, indeed, to be found, in a slight degree, even in the of the eatable gourds. M. Decandolle observes, that as the violent action of the order de- . M. Decandolle observes, that as the violent action of the Colocinth resin is much softened by the mixture with it of gum, it is probable that the difference in the fruits of the order depends upon the different proportions between these two substances. The seeds of the gourd, like those of the NATURAL ARRANGEMENT. passion-flower, possess none of the properties of the pulp; they are sweet and nutty, and readily form an emulsion. The roots of the bryony are purgative, but also contain a wholesome fæcula. It is said that the roots of a species of bryony are eaten in Abyssinia, after being merely boiled. There are some Cucurbitaceæ, the roots of which are intensely bitter; those of one of this description are used in Peru, to remove the pains attendant upon inveterate venereal disorders. 2019 Trichosánthes W 2022 Cúcumis W. 551 Gronovia W. 1940 Angúria W. 1976 Lúffa Cav. 2020 Momórdica W. 2021 Cucurbita W. 2023 Sícyos W.
ORDER LXVII. 2024 Bryónia W. 2095 Cárica W.
LOASEÆ.
Nothing is known of the qualities of this order. It consists of succulent cut-leaved plants, generally covered with asperities or rigid stinging hairs, and yellow or white flowers. They are all natives of America, and handsome annuals. A very few of them are climbers. 1113 Bartónia Ph. 1194 Mentzélia W.
ORDER LXVIII.
HALORAGEÆ. 1619 Loása L Obscure weeds, chiefly distinguished from Onagrariæ, by their naked and solitary ovula. They are natives of moist places or ponds, in various parts of Europe and North America. Some of the species of Halorágis are tropical. They are not known to possess any medicinal properties. 23 Hippúris W. 932 Halorágis W. 1987 Myriophyllum W. 309 Ludwigia W.. 258 Isnárda W. 27 Callitriche W. 1968 Serpícula W.
ORDER LXIX.
ONAGRARIÆ.
A very well defined order, generally known by its pollen cohering, by a sort of filamentous substance, an inferior polyspermous ovarium, a tetrasepalous tetrapetalous flower, with a definite number of stamens, and a single style. From this form there are some anomalous variations, such as Circæ'a and Lopézia, which are, however, easily reconciled to the usual structure of the order. Most of the genera are pre-eminently beautiful; as Epilobium, Œnothéra, and Fúchsia, which are old favorites among gardeners. The properties of Onagrariæ are little known, and probably very weak. The leaves of Jussiæ'a peruviána are used as an emollient poultice, the seed of Trápa nátans as an eatable nut, and the root of Enothéra biénnis as a sort of salad. 71 Circæ'a W. 18 Lopézia Cav. 902 Gaúra W. 903 Epilóbium W. 904 Fúchsia W. 308 Trápa W.
ORDER LXX.
FICOIDEÆ. 1026 Jussiæ'a W. 901 Œnothéra W. 2064 Montínia W.
These are all plants with a greater or less degree of succulence the Mesembryánthemums and Hymenógyne are well-known dry-stove plants, many of which are beautiful in the highest degree. Of the former of these two, the flowers are of all colors, many of the most vivid hues, and remarkable for expanding only beneath bright sunshine; this phenomenon, indeed, is common to the whole order. Tetragónia expánsa, Sesúvium portulacástrum, and Mesembryánthemum edéle, are excellent substitutes for summer spinach. A large quantity of saline matter is contained in all of them; in Reaumúria vermiculáta, a substance is secreted, which has been found by chemical analysis to consist of muriate of soda and nitrate of potash. The whole order grows in very dry or saline places, in the temperate regions of the world. Four fifths of the whole are natives of the Cape of Good Hope. The leaves of the different species of Mesembryánthemum, offer the most remarkable instances of figure known in the vegetable world. 1090 Nitrária W. 1107 Glínus W. 1143 Sesúvium W. 1144 Aizóon W. 1147 Hymenógyne Haw. 1145 Tetragónia W. 1146 Mesembryánthemum L. 1210 Reaumúria W.