Lagenaria Ser., Mem. Soc. Phys. Geneve 3(1): 25, t. 2. 1825.

Herbs, climbing, scandent, softly pubescent. Tendrils 2-fid. Petiole apex 2-glandular; leaf blade ovate-cordate or reniform. Plants monoecious or dioecious; flowers solitary or male flowers in racemes, white. MALE FLOWERS: Pedicels elongate; calyx tube narrowly campanulate or funnelform; lobes 5; corolla lobes 5, oblong-obovate, apex retuse; stamens 3, filaments free, anthers included, slightly coalescent or free, oblong, one 1-celled, others 2- celled; anther cells sigmoid-flexuous; connective not produced; pistillode glandular. FEMALE FLOWERS: Pedicels short; calyx tube cupulate; calyx and corolla as in male flowers. Tricarpellary, syncarpous, ovary inferior, ovoid or cylindric; ovules numerous, horizontal, placentation parietal, placentas 3; styles short; stigmas 3, bilobed. Fruit polymorphic, indehiscent, fleshy, woody when mature. Seeds numerous, obovate, compressed, distinctly marginate

6 species

Lagenaria siceraria (Molina) Standl., Publ. Field Mus. Nat. Hist., Bot. Ser. 3: 435. 1930; Fl. China @ eFloras.org vol. 19. p. 53; Nazim. & Naqvi, Fl. Pak. @ eFloras.org p. 17; Fl. Trop. Afr. ed. 2, 1: 206. 1954; Jeffrey in Milne-Redhead & Polhill, Fl. Trop. E. Afr. (Cucurbitaceae) 51.1967.

Plants annual, climber or trailer. Stem and branches sulcate-angular, densely pubescent. Tendrils filiform, 2-fid, puberulent. Petiole (2.7-) 16-20 cm, with 2 lateral conical glands at apex; leaf blade ovate-cordate or reniform ovate, (3-) 10-35 cm x (4-) 10-35 cm, undivided or 3-5-lobed, lobes rounded, both surfaces puberulent, palmately 5-7-veined, base cordate, margin irregularly dentate. Plants monoecious. Both male and female flowers solitary. MALE FLOWERS: 3.5 cm long and 6 cm across. Pedicels slender, ca. 5 cm long, nearly equal to petioles. Calyx tube funnelform, pubescent, ca. 2 cm long, lobes 5, lanceolate, ca. 6 mm x 1-1.5 mm, pubescent. Corolla dirty white, lobes 5, 2.7-4.5 cm x 1.8-3.7 cm, oblong-obovate, apex retuse or apiculate. Stamens 3, filaments free, 3-4 mm, anthers included, slightly coalescent or free, oblong, 8-10 mm long, one 1-celled, others 2-celled; anther cells sigmoid-flexuous; connective not produced. FEMALE FLOWERS: Pedicels short. Calyx and corolla as in male flowers. Tricarpellary, syncarpous, ovary inferior, ovoid or cylindric, 11-17 mm long and 6-8 mm across, densely pubescent, ovules numerous, horizontal, placentation parietal, placentas 3; style short, stigmas 3, enlarged, bilobed. Fruits polymorphic, large, subglobose, ellipsoid, lageniform, sometimes biventricose, green or greenish yellow, hairy, indehiscent, fleshy, woody when mature. Seeds numerous, white, obovate or triangular, ca. 20 mm, compressed, distinctly marginate, apex truncate. Seeds slightly 2 horned at the shoulders.

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