Order Cucurbitales: The Cucurbitales are an order of flowering plants, included in the Rosid group of Eudicots.

s. The order consists of roughly 2300 species in 7 families. The largest families are Begoniaceae with 1400 species and Cucurbitaceae with 825 species. Family Begoniaceae: a family of flowering plants with about 1400 species occurring in the subtropics and tropics. All but one of the species are in the genus Begonia. The only other genus in the family, Hillebrandia, is endemic to the Hawaiian islands and has a single species. Members of the genus Begonia are well-known houseplants.

Family Cucurbitaceae: The Cucurbitaceae or cucurbit family (also commonly referred to as the cucumber, gourd, melon, or pumpkin family) is a medium-sized plant family, primarily found in the warmer regions of the world. There are about 100 known genera and almost 700 species in this family. It is a major family for economically important species, particularly those with edible fruits.

Scientific Classification: Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Cucurbitales Family: Cucurbitaceae Name: Cucumis melo Common Name: Melon Name: Citrullus lanatus Common Name: Watermelon Name: Cucumis sativus Common Name: Cucumber Name:Cucurbita pepo Common Name: squash, pumpkin, zucchini Name: Luffa sp. Common Name: Luffa, sponge cucumber

Examples: 1. Scientific 2. Scientific 3. Scientific 4. Scientific 5. Scientific

Family Characteristics: Plant Habit Stem Type Vines (rarely shrub or tree) Scandent (Defn: The stem habit of vines can sprawling across objects without specialized climbing structures), Pentangular (Defn: Having five angles), Usually with one Tendril per node Leaf Type Simple, Palmately Veined, and often Palmately Lobed, Spiral, and Exstipulate Inflorescence Type Axillary, determinate, cymose or solitary Flower Sex Type Usually unisexual, Actinomorphic, Female flowers epiperigynous (Defn: hypanthium attached at the apex of an inferior ovary) Perianth Cycly Biseriate and Dichlamydeous, with hypanthium present Stamen Position Alternipetalous (Defn: having the stamens positioned between the petals or corolla lobes), distinct or connate Gynoecial Fusion Syncarpous, with an inferior ovary Fruit Type Berry, Pepo, Capsule, or Samara _ Floral Formula: *K 5 [3-6] C 5 [3-6] or (50) [(3-6)] A 3-5 or (3-5) G (3) [(2-5)] Note: K-Calyx C-Corolla A-Androecium G-Gynoecium By: Calyx Group