Flora of New Zealand Series

Monoecious or dioecious herbs; stems scandent or prostrate, creeping, mostly scabrid. Tendrils commonly present, lateral, simple or branched, spirally coiled. Fls generally solitary, actinomorphic, 5-merous. ♂ fls: calyx united, the lobes imbricate or not touching; petals gamopetalous or free; stamens (1)-3-(5), free or variously united; one anther always 1-locular, the others 2-locular, mostly syngenesious and contorted; connective often produced. ♀ fls: calyx adnate to ovary and often produced above; petals similar to those of ♂ fls; staminodes often present; ovary nearly always inferior; placentas (2)-3-(5), parietal but usually projecting into ovary cavity; ovules mostly numerous; styles usually simple; stigmas thick, usually divided. Fr. nearly always fleshy, mostly indehiscent, often large, with a thick skin or rind and a pulpy interior with embedded seeds. Seeds non-endospermic, generally flattened.

c. 114 genera, 500 spp., mostly tropical and subtropical.

In addition to the genera described below, Allan (1940) mentioned Cucumis L. and Lagenaria Ser. as probably occurring wild in N.Z. Cucumis sativus L. is the commonly cultivated cucumber and although wild plants have not been collected, they probably occasionally occur. The genus Cucumis is distinguished from Citrullus by the prominent anther connective and from Cucurbita by the simple tendrils. Lagenaria siceraria (Molina) Standley, is the hue or Maori gourd which was introduced to N.Z. in pre-European times, but has not become naturalised. It is a large vine, the solitary fls have a white corolla limb divided to the base, and the variously shaped inedible, elongated frs (gourds) have very hard, smooth rinds.