Herpetospermum pedunculosum C.B.Clarke

Species

Angiosperms > Cucurbitales > Cucurbitaceae > Herpetospermum

Characteristics

Stem and branches slender, puberulent at first. Petiole 4-8(-10) cm; leaf blade ovate-cordate, 6-12 × 4-9 cm, membranous, both surfaces scabrous, yellow-brown pubescent at first, base cordate, margin dentate, apex caudate-acuminate. Male flowers usually in a raceme or solitary; inflorescence 12-40 cm, 5-10-flowered, puberulent; calyx tube 20-25 cm, apex 8-9 mm in diam.; segments linear, 8-9 mm; corolla yellow; segments elliptic, 20-22 × 12-15 mm; filaments 2-3 mm; anthers 5-6 mm; rudimentary ovary subulate, 4-5 mm. Female flowers: calyx tube narrowly tubular, ca. 15 mm, densely yellow pubescent; segments linear, ca. 9 mm; corolla segments oblong, 20-25 × 15-20 mm; ovary oblong-ovoid, densely yellow hispid. Fruit 7-8 × 3-4 cm, fibrous. Seeds pale gray, oblong, ca. 12 × 5 mm, 2-3 mm thick, base truncate. Fl. and fr. Jun-Oct.
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A pumpkin family plant. It is a weak climber. The tendrils are twice divided. The leaves are oval or heart shaped. They taper to the tip. There are teeth along the edge. There are a few hairs. The flowers are yellow. The sepals or outer ring of flower parts are hairy. The fruit are 7-8 cm long by 3-4 cm wide. The seeds are oblong and pale grey. They are 12 mm long by 5 mm wide and 2-3 mm thick.
Life form annual
Growth form herb
Growth support climber
Foliage retention -
Sexuality dioecy
Pollination entomogamy
Spread -
Mature width (meter) -
Mature height (meter) 2.0
Root system -
Rooting depth (meter) -
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color -
Blooming months -
Fruit color -
Fruiting months
JanFebMar
AprMayJun
JulAugSep
OctNovDec
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway -

Environment

Forest edges, especially along trails at elevations of 1000-3000 metres in Nepal. Thickets and forest sides on mountain slopes at elevations of 2300-2500 metres in Tibet.
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It is a subtropical plant. In Nepal it grows between 1000-3000 m altitude. It grows along the edge of the forest. In Yunnan.
Light 4-9
Soil humidity 4-6
Soil texture 1-6
Soil acidity 3-7
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) -

Usage

The seeds are fried and eaten. The fruit are cooked as a vegetable.
Uses medicinal
Edible fruits seeds
Therapeutic use Parasympatholytics (aerial part), Parasympatholytics (unspecified)
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Plants are grown from seed.
Mode seedlings
Germination duration (days) 5 - 10
Germination temperacture (C°) 23 - 26
Germination luminosity -
Germination treatment -
Minimum temperature (C°) -
Optimum temperature (C°) -
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Images

Herpetospermum pedunculosum unspecified picture

Distribution

Herpetospermum pedunculosum world distribution map, present in China

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:292933-1
WFO ID wfo-0001225352
COL ID 6LRKH
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN)
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Bryonia pedunculosa Herpetospermum pedunculosum Herpetospermum caudigerum Herpetospermum grandiflorum