Melothria
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Authority
Acevedo-Rodríguez, Pedro. 2005. Vines and climbing plants of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Contr. U. S. Natl. Herb. 51: 1-483.
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Family
Cucurbitaceae
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Scientific Name
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Description
Description - Herbaceous vines, monoecious, with axillary tendrils; latex watery. Leaves alternate, petiolate; blades simple, entire or lobed; stipules absent. Flowers unisexual, actinomorphic; calyx crateriform, with 5 minute lobes; corolla campanulate. short-tubular, the lobes more or less deep, expanded; staminate flowers in axillary racemes; stamens 3, the filaments free, the anthers free or concrescent; pistillate flowers solitary, with 3 staminodia; ovary inferior, ovoid or fusiform, tricarpellate, the style short, simple, the stigmas 3, linear. Fruit a smooth berry, small, ovoid or ellipsoid; seeds numerous, minute, without an aril. A neotropical genus of about 10 species.