View source for Melothria

{{Treatment/ID
|accepted_name=Melothria
|accepted_authority=Linnaeus
|publications={{Treatment/Publication
|title=Sp. Pl.
|place=1: 35. 1753
|year=1753
}}, {{Treatment/Publication
|title=Gen. Pl. ed.
|place=5, 21. 1754
|year=1754
}}
|common_names=Melonette
|basionyms=
|synonyms=
|hierarchy=Cucurbitaceae;Melothria
|hierarchy_nav=<div class="higher-taxa"><div class="higher-taxon"><small>family</small>[[Cucurbitaceae]]</div><div class="higher-taxon"><small>genus</small>[[Melothria]]</div></div>
|etymology=Greek melothron, ancient name for some fruiting vine, probably Bryonia
|volume=Volume 6
|mention_page=page 3, 7
|treatment_page=page 39
}}<!--

--><span class="statement" id="st-d0_s0" data-properties="plants herb duration;plants herb reproduction;plants herb growth form;plants herb orientation;plants herb orientation;plants herb orientation;plants herb orientation"><b>Plants </b>herbs, perennial [annual], monoecious, climbing, trailing, or creeping;</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s1" data-properties="stem duration;stem pubescence;stem pubescence">stems annual, glabrous or hispid [pilose];</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s2" data-properties="root architecture">roots tuberous;</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s3" data-properties="tendril architecture">tendrils unbranched.</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s4" data-properties="blade shape;blade shape;blade shape;blade shape;blade shape;blade shape;blade shape;lobe shape;margin shape;surface architecture"><b>Leaves:</b> blade ovate-reniform, cordate-pentangular, suborbiculate to depressed-ovate, ovate, ovate-triangular, or lanceolate-hastate, subentire or shallowly to deeply palmately 3–5-lobed or angled, lobes deltate to shallowly triangular, margins denticulate [dentate, shallowly sinuate, or subentire], surfaces eglandular.</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s5" data-properties="flower architecture;flower quantity;flower arrangement"><b>Inflorescences:</b> staminate flowers 2–6 in axillary racemes or corymboid to subumbelloid clusters;</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s6" data-properties="flower architecture;flower architecture or arrangement or growth form">pistillate flowers solitary, usually in same axils as staminate;</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s7" data-properties="bract presence">bracts absent.</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s8" data-properties="hypanthium shape"><b>Flowers:</b> hypanthium campanulate;</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s9" data-properties="sepal quantity;sepal shape;sepal course">sepals 5, triangular to ovate, straight;</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s10" data-properties="petal quantity;petal fusion;petal length;petal coloration;petal coloration;petal shape;petal atypical some measurement;petal some measurement;petal pubescence;petal pubescence;corolla shape">petals 5, connate 1/2 length, yellow or orange-yellow [white or pale orange], oblong to ovate-oblong or obovate-oblong, 1.5–2 [–3.5] mm, glabrous or villosulous, corolla rotate to campanulate-rotate.</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s11" data-properties="flower architecture;stamen quantity"><b>Staminate </b>flowers: stamens 3;</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s12" data-properties="flower architecture;filament fusion">filaments inserted near hypanthium base or near mid tube, distinct;</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s13" data-properties="flower architecture;theca fusion;theca shape;connective width">thecae distinct, oblong, connective broadened;</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s14" data-properties="flower architecture;pistillode presence;pistillode function">pistillodes present, nectariferous.</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s15" data-properties="flower architecture;ovary architecture or structure in adjective form;ovary shape"><b>Pistillate </b>flowers: ovary 3-locular, globose to ovoid or fusiform;</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s16" data-properties="flower architecture;ovule quantity">ovules ca. 15–20 per locule;</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s17" data-properties="flower architecture;style quantity;style shape">style 1, short-columnar;</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s18" data-properties="flower architecture;stigma quantity;stigma shape">stigmas 3, 2-lobed;</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s19" data-properties="flower architecture;staminode quantity;staminode presence">staminodes 3 or absent.</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s20" data-properties="fruits pepo coloration;fruits pepo coloration;fruits pepo coloration;fruits pepo coloration;fruits pepo coloration;fruits pepo shape;fruits pepo shape;fruits pepo atypical some measurement;fruits pepo some measurement;fruits pepo architecture or pubescence or relief;fruits pepo pubescence;fruits pepo dehiscence"><b>Fruits </b>pepos, greenish, often striped or mottled, apparently usually maturing yellow to orange or purplish black, usually ellipsoid to ovoid, sometimes subglobose to globose, (0.8–) 1–2.5 cm, smooth, glabrous, indehiscent.</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s21" data-properties="seed quantity;seed shape;seed shape;seed architecture;margin variability"><b>Seeds </b>30–60, ovoid to ellipsoid, compressed, not arillate, margins not differentiated, surface smooth, white-sericeous.</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s22" data-properties="surface architecture or pubescence or relief;surface pubescence;x chromosome quantity">x = 12.</span><!--

-->{{Treatment/Body
|distribution=United States;Mexico;West Indies;Central America;South America;in Asia
|discussion=<p>Species 12 (1 in the flora).</p><!--
--><p>The concept of Melothria was considerably narrowed by C. Jeffrey (1962), leaving the genus an entirely New World taxon characterized by long-peduncled fruits and staminate racemes, compressed seeds, and three stamens per flower, two of which are 2-thecous and the other 1-thecous. The segregated (or revived) genera Mukia Arnott (four species), Solena Loureiro (one species), and Zehneria Endlicher (30 species) are from the Old World tropics.</p>
|tables=
|references=
}}<!--

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-->{{#Taxon:
name=Melothria
|authority=Linnaeus
|rank=genus
|parent rank=family
|synonyms=
|basionyms=
|family=Cucurbitaceae
|distribution=United States;Mexico;West Indies;Central America;South America;in Asia
|reference=None
|publication title=Sp. Pl.;Gen. Pl. ed.
|publication year=1753;1754
|special status=
|source xml=https://bibilujan@bitbucket.org/aafc-mbb/fna-fine-grained-xml.git/src/84153f6d59a0a91d69695978a64cee7560374f8e/V6/V6_62.xml
|genus=Melothria
|blade shape=suborbiculate;depressed-ovate ovate ovate-triangular or lanceolate-hastate subentire or
|bract presence=absent
|connective width=broadened
|corolla shape=rotate;campanulate-rotate
|filament fusion=distinct
|flower architecture=pistillate;pistillate;pistillate;pistillate;pistillate;staminate;staminate;staminate;staminate;pistillate;staminate
|flower architecture or arrangement or growth form=solitary
|flower arrangement=cluster
|flower quantity=2;6
|fruits pepo architecture or pubescence or relief=smooth
|fruits pepo atypical some measurement=0.8cm;1cm
|fruits pepo coloration=yellow;orange or purplish black
|fruits pepo dehiscence=indehiscent
|fruits pepo pubescence=glabrous
|fruits pepo shape=subglobose;globose
|fruits pepo some measurement=1cm;2.5cm
|hypanthium shape=campanulate
|lobe shape=deltate;shallowly triangular
|margin shape=denticulate
|margin variability=not differentiated
|ovary architecture or structure in adjective form=3-locular
|ovary shape=globose;ovoid or fusiform
|ovule quantity=15;20
|petal atypical some measurement=2mm;3.5mm
|petal coloration=orange-yellow;yellow
|petal fusion=connate
|petal length=1/2
|petal pubescence=villosulous;glabrous
|petal quantity=5
|petal shape=oblong;ovate-oblong or obovate-oblong
|petal some measurement=1.5mm;2mm
|pistillode function=nectariferous
|pistillode presence=absent
|plants herb duration=perennial
|plants herb growth form=climbing
|plants herb orientation=creeping;trailing;creeping;trailing
|plants herb reproduction=monoecious
|root architecture=tuberous
|seed architecture=not arillate
|seed quantity=30;60
|seed shape=compressed;ovoid;ellipsoid
|sepal course=straight
|sepal quantity=5
|sepal shape=triangular;ovate
|stamen quantity=3
|staminode presence=absent
|staminode quantity=3
|stem duration=annual
|stem pubescence=hispid;glabrous
|stigma quantity=3
|stigma shape=2-lobed
|style quantity=1
|style shape=short-columnar
|surface architecture=eglandular
|surface architecture or pubescence or relief=smooth
|surface pubescence=white-sericeous
|tendril architecture=unbranched
|theca fusion=distinct
|theca shape=oblong
|x chromosome quantity=12
}}<!--

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