Trichosanthes cordata Roxb.

Species

Angiosperms > Cucurbitales > Cucurbitaceae > Trichosanthes

Characteristics

Stem robust, angular, grooved, glabrous or sparsely puberulent. Petiole 14-17 cm, striate, sparsely puberulent; leaf blade broadly ovate-cordate, 8-22 × 7-23 cm, papery, unlobed or rarely angular-sublobate, both surfaces scattered shortly hirsute, margin minutely denticulate, apex acute or shortly acuminate. Male raceme 4-8-flowered; peduncle 12-20 cm, stout, striate, sparsely puberulent; pedicels 1-2 mm, thick; bracts oblong, ca. 4 × 1-1.5 cm, entire, shortly hirsute; calyx tube attenuate from apex toward base, ca. 4.5 × 0.7 cm; segments erect or flexuous, linear-lanceolate, ca. 1.5 cm. Female flower solitary; pedicel ca. 1 cm; ovary oblong, slightly puberulent. Fruit red, globose, smooth. Seeds subquadrangular, 1-1.2 × 0.4-0.5 cm. Fl. Jul-Aug, fr. Aug.
More
A pumpkin family plant. It is a climbing vine. The stems are robust, angular and have grooves along them. The leaves are broadly oval or heart shaped and 8-22 cm long by 7-23 cm wide. Usually they do not have lobes. There are small teeth along the edge. Male flowers are in groups of 4-8 and female flowers occur singly. The fruit is round, red and smooth. The seeds are angular.
Life form -
Growth form herb
Growth support climber
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Sexuality monoecy
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Blooming months
JanFebMar
AprMayJun
JulAugSep
OctNovDec
Fruit color
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JanFebMar
AprMayJun
JulAugSep
OctNovDec
Nitrogen fixer -
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Environment

It is a temperate plant. It grows in evergreen broad-leaved forests at about 1,000 m altitude in tibet.
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Hardiness (USDA) 8-12

Usage

The rhizomes are cooked as a vegetable.
Uses medicinal
Edible fruits rhizomes
Therapeutic use General tonic for rejuvenation (flower), Hepatomegaly (root), Leprosy, lepromatous (root), General tonic for rejuvenation (root), Splenic diseases (root), Splenomegaly (root), Hepatomegaly (tuber), Leprosy, lepromatous (tuber), Splenomegaly (tuber), Hepatomegaly (unspecified), Leprosy (unspecified), Splenomegaly (unspecified), Stimulant (unspecified), Tonic (unspecified), Abdomen (unspecified), Sore (unspecified), Diuretics (unspecified)
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Cultivation

Mode -
Germination duration (days) 14 - 30
Germination temperacture (C°) 18 - 23
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Distribution

Trichosanthes cordata world distribution map, present in Bangladesh, China, India, Myanmar, Malaysia, and Nepal

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:294167-1
WFO ID wfo-0001225370
COL ID 58JL9
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN)
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Anguina cordata Trichosanthes microsiphon Trichosanthes macrosiphon Trichosanthes cordata