14. Mukia Arn. in Madras Journ. lit. Sc. 12:50. 1840. and in Hook., Journ. Bot. 3:276. 1841; Benth. & Hook. f., Gen. Pl. 1:829. 1867; Clarke in Hook. f., Fl. Brit. Ind. 2:625. 1879; Hutch., Gen. Fl. Pl. 2:393. 1967; C. Jeffrey, in Milne-Redhead & Polhill, Fl. Trop. E. Africa (Cucurbitaceae) 115. 1967.
S. NAZIMUDDIN AND S. SHAHARYAR H. NAQVI
Medium-sized, monoecious, hispid climbers with simple tendrils. Leaves ovate-cordate to triangular-hastate, palmately lobed, petiolate. Flowers very small, yellow. Male flowers in sessile clusters, subsessile to pedicellate; calyx-tube campanulate, with small, subulate or dentiform lobes; petals united below; stamens 3, free, 2 dithecous and 1 monothecous, inserted on the tube; connectives produced, thecae straight to subcurvate; disc elevated and free from the calyx-tube. Female flowers usually in sessile clusters, subsessile, sometimes coaxillary with male flowers; perianth as in male flowers; stigmas 2-3; ovary ellipsoid or globose, staminodes when present subulate; disc annular, surrounding the style base, free from tube; ovules few. Berry small, subsessile, 1-several in axillary clusters, ellipsoid, or globose-subglobose, ± hispid when young, red, almost glabrous when mature, smooth; seeds horizontally placed, small, elliptic-tumid with prominent thick raised margins and flat or subconvex smooth or scrobiculate disc.
About 4 species of old world; only 1 occurs in Pakistan.