Trichosanthes ellipsoidea Merr.

Species

Angiosperms > Cucurbitales > Cucurbitaceae > Trichosanthes

Characteristics

Climber to 5 m long, early glabrescent, at first with minute powdery hairs, leafy stem 1.5-3 mm diam.; dioecious. Probract (narrowly) elliptic, c. 5 mm long, entire. Tendrils unbranched or 2-branched. Leaves: petiole 3-4.5 cm long; blade greenish on drying, membranous or chartaceous, simple, unlobed, in outline (narrowly) ovate, 10-15 by 6-9.5 cm, ± scabrous above, glands few or several, scattered at about the centre or towards the base, 1-2 mm diam., margin entire but at base faintly repand, apex slenderly acute-acuminate; veins (3-)5, curved. Male raceme finely hairy; peduncle 3-6 cm long, c. 2 mm thick; rachis not thickened, c. 10 cm long, c. 2 mm thick, 20-25-flowered; bracts rhomboid or broadly (ob)ovate, 15-20 by c. 15 mm, margin deeply incised or dentate, to 1/3-1/2 deep, sometimes with 3 main lobes, glands present. Male flowers: pedicel 1-3 mm long, persistent or caducous; receptacle-tube (from large bud) somewhat swollen at base, 30 mm long, at throat 7-8 mm wide; sepals narrowly ovate, 7 mm long, 3 mm wide at base, entire; synandrium c. 7 mm long, filaments sparsely hairy, c. 3 mm long. Female flowers: pedicel 15-20(-30) mm long; receptacle-tube 60-70 mm long; sepals lanceolate, 6-7 mm long; petals obovate, including threads 30 mm long. Fruit: ripening colour not known, ellipsoid, c. 5 cm long; exocarp thick-leathery, smooth, dark brown when dry; pericarp and pulp not known; fruiting pedicel 1.5-2 cm long, 2-3 mm thick. Seeds compressed, c. 13 by 6-7 by 1.5-2 mm, base narrowly truncate, apex pointed, not margined, edge entire.
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Growth form herb
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Mature height (meter) 5.0
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Environment

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Hardiness (USDA) 9-12

Usage

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Edible -
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Cultivation

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

Trichosanthes ellipsoidea world distribution map, present in Malaysia, Philippines, and Puerto Rico

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:294187-1
WFO ID wfo-0000407957
COL ID 58JM2
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN)
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Trichosanthes ellipsoidea