700 Ray and those reported from La Jolla. In the Chesapeake Bey experiments, some seeds spronted in the gourds, mold-producing fungi vere active within some gourds, there was decay and putreficw tion of the interior contents, and there appeared to he a gereral decline in seedling exnergence with time. It seems probsble that these diflerences may be accounted for by a combination of factors, chiefly salinity and the organic content of the water. In the brackish waters of parts of the Cresapeake Bay, the salinity is relatively lov, and the ofganie content high in comparison with sea water. This combina tion tends 19 promote lush growth of microorgan sms and fungi. Hewever, the two experiments do suggest that gourds are capable of long oreanic drift ‘with seed viability Hitle impaired, provided wood- horing organisms do not attsck the gourd during its period of littoral drift. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY [Vol. 41 Under conditions simulating oceanic gourd of Lagenaria siceraria were found to he capable of floating for periods up to 224 days with no signifi- cant decrease in viability of the seed. From what is Known of the véocities of oceanic’ currents, this length of time would be suffcient for gourds to drift from tropical Africa to the coast of Braail by the Sout Ataatc Camas Up ts 36 days tame sion in sea water did not impair viebility of the seeds as compared with dry controls, This would indicate that the cxitieal factor inthe distribution of this species by oceanic drift is the ability of the gourd to float. U.S. Depanratent oF Acnicourons, ‘Es Tous, Catsronvin ‘and ‘Thee Jones Hopkins Universe, TBatriwoxs, ManvtaNb LITERATURE CITED iw, J.B. 1948 America’s oldest farmers. Nat. Hist. 57 296-318, 384-315. Gurry, H. B. 1917. Plant, seeds and currents in the West Indies and Azores, 531 yp. Willlans & Nogite. London. Serre, Go, As ano G. F, Canress 1952, Oceanic dei of fourds. Prog. Rept, 5- Soils terzacee end time in the Chesapeake Ray region. 6 pp. (ifimeo) Towte, M. A. 1962, The preCelunbian occurrence, of Tagsniria’ sede in coastal Pera, Bot, Mus. Leaflets Marvard Univ. 15: 171-184, ‘Wurtaken, 7. W, axo J. B, Bo, 1949, Tdentiestion and ‘gnifcance of she excurbit materials from Huaca Prieta, Peru, Amer. Mus, Nev. 1925, 15 pe A POSSIBLE SOURCE FOR AMERICAN PRE-COLUMBIAN GOURDS ' Wendell H. Camp ‘Ture montest of lengdintance plant dieporsal cone surrounded by a considerable amount of 2 Iation. Therefore, the study hy Whitaker and Cai (1954) on the ty of the seed of the gout Cagenaria siceraria), after being floated in sea tex for a considerable time, is of great importan ‘Those of us interested in plant distributi (Camp, 1947) weleome procise data on such m ters. We have never discounted the fact that wit and ocean currents have been efiective agents plant dispersal, often over long distances, Howes results of experiments such as that conducted Whitaker and Carter should not lull us into thinki that all perplexing problems related to trans-occa disjunct distributions are to he roselved in the m ner they suguest. Ridley (1930) has given us an excellent list of plants potentially wansporied by winds and ocean Currents, However, as noted ekewhere (Camp. 1952), in carefully examining Ridley’s voluminous compilation one searches in vain for certain forms, ‘especially. among. the more primitive members of ‘eriticel groups. Ridley was completely aware of this situation, and cften commented on the wide di persal of certain plants with no apparent means of * Received for publication April 19, 1954, accomplishment, Lagenaria siceraria doce net be- long to this perplexing group of organisms. In their report, Whitaker and Carter remark: “I Lagenaria was transported from the Old to the No World by ocean current ity w the coest of tropical Africa to the coast of Bra The general concept of a dispersal from Africa t South Americe is the only one considered by thes authors in their paper. Whitaker and Carter are correct in po that this gourd is not a lioral plant Therefor even if it drifted from Africa to Brazil, it would as they clearly indicate—have to he transported i lend. According to these same authors, the eatlie irom Known record for this gourd in. America i ancient Musca Prida site in Peru. The Aerefore, would be ite traneport across th South America and over the Andes. This possible, but another item might be considered ‘The exact place of origin for this gourd ix m own. Macmillan (1946) implies that itis nativ in southeastern Asia, although sometimes thous! to be African; his gues probably is as good es an at the present tine. Of the plant as grown in Ceylo hie says. (under its formerly eceepled symenym,November, 1954] (CAMtY—PRE-COLIMBIAN GOURDS 701 tulgaris): “One of the most popular of native verge ity would be from Africa to Brazil. However, iti tables. The unripe fruits when boiled are a wholes) were to bave been brought by man, an introduetio some though rather insipid vegetable. When Tipe across the Pacific would be een more logical. Al and seasoned, the shell hocomes very hurd and du though we are prone to sccff ct the records of what able and, being emptied of the pulp, is commonly) we sometimes think of as “primitive peoples,” clas sale ne reply efor carving pater” Hes) ing thom ar Tbretd oer they ent wn, is one of those dual purpose plants, eagerly greomert vith aur own ideas, those who set do Eel es Cade eal he bart te eee oe Me Fok eer nd hk elgg Qo at te a handled, could even he sel as enoking veel). fe sea, drum iecolece here "ihc coer ov ae ele ig the sea, from the place where the sun sels. tion of man is heated and at time acrimonia suman cone, and I have little desire to enter the argument aaa — However, those facts scem to be pertinent. No doulfey) The presence of the gourd (Lagenaria sicerari Tener eal the salldign of the iatiietion of the. |i America in pre-Columbian archaeclogical. Hiuaca Prieta gourd material, Therefore. iti to hp /couPled withthe generally accepted concept that assumed that the culvated Lagenaria scerarie jg ot nlive inthis hemisphere poses the prob ume that the cultivated Lagenaria sicerarie WM) cf ite introduction into the Anteria Sean st'sduh Amora, Purthermere, as heed pres |e demonstrated ha the frie of tl ad Vfously, i fs (and fora long tne has been) a nach oat for a considerable time in sea water, and thy cukivated plant in southeastern Asia and in contgue | the seeds are sill viable; abso the naked secs a See ee ime ot ie eellsces cs a wutkip. | Viable after exposure to sea water for a consiéereb grown food and source of containers for water, etd. petiod, While theve Isa possibility that it may tin ‘The really important fact, now abundantly evidenggy heen carried from Afvien to the shores of Sou Tht Tay operant teh nor shams "WE America hy ocean eurrents, there is no evidence *h toe eae dt bi sowdon mele this gourd is a littoral plant. The chance of i injure! In one exposes ty cea hater and peesang_ establishment after accidental introduction by fot ly equally rectant to sak sprays Thereore pre )80% Weteore, isan excetingly remote on. Th ples with siffcient acumen to be venturing on long |&0¥%dl bes long been weed by the peoples of sout overseas voyages, and familiar with the culture of eastern Asis, both for food and for the making the plant, would Hloly take scod of it along, and at Wensi’s of various sort, and it seems more likely fi aly with them even if drenched with have been introduced by early migrants from A spray. Drinking water would elso have been carrie € America. The resistance of ils seeds to salt wal ih the mature gourds on such long journeys (as a) WO¥ld sake it an admirable subject for introdu ithe mate gourds on ancl long (2 HE ion where open, epray-dienchell craft only we Tn couclusion, theo, I would agree with Whitaker *Ailable and Carter in assuming that, if Lagenaria were © Tovasy Dreanrasen, have been transported from the Old to the New Unvensiry cr Cosseenevn, World by ocean currents, the most obvious possibil- Sroas, Connccricot LITERATURE CITED (Caos, W. H. 1947, Disibotion patterns in modern pnts Macauuias, IL F. 1946. Tropical planting and gardening ‘ani the problems of ancient disperses, Eool, Monog Sth ev.'500 pp. Meemilan & Co, London, 17: 139-188, Runury, HN. 1990. The dispersal of plate threghout the ‘wetld. x2-4714 np. L. Reave & Co, Ashford, Kent 1952, Phytaphyletic patterns on Lends hordecing Worraxen, T. W,, an G, F, Canvas, 1864, Occarie deft the South Adausic Basin, Bull Amer, Mus, Net, Hist, of gourds—experimenial observations. Amer. Jour. Bot. ‘99, 205-202, ‘a1 697-700