Trichosanthes cucumerina
L.
Cucurbitaceae
Trichosanthes brevibracteata Kundu
Trichosanthes pachyrrhachis Kundu
Common Name: Wild Snake Gourd
General Information
Trichosanthes cucumerina is an annual, climbing plant producing stems up to 6 metres long that can sprawl over the ground or climb into other plants for support, attaching themselves by means of tendrils.
This is the wild species from which the edible snake gourds (Trichosanthes cucumerina anguina) have been developed. Its fruit is bitter and inedible, but the plant is sometimes gathered from the wild for local medicinal use.
Known Hazards
None known
Botanical References
266- Title
- Flora of China
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/
- Publisher
- Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis.
- Year
- 1994
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available.
Range
E. Asia - China, Indian subcontinent, Myanmar, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Australia.
Habitat
Open forest, forest margins and scrub vegetation, at elevations up to 1000 metres, occasionally to 1,500 metres[
310- Title
- Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://proseanet.org/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
]. Jungles along valleys, thickets on mountain slopes at elevations of 400 - 1,600 metres in southern China[
266- Title
- Flora of China
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/
- Publisher
- Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis.
- Year
- 1994
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available.
].
Properties
| Medicinal Rating |  |
| Habit | Annual Climber |
| Height | 5.00 m |
| Cultivation Status | Wild |
Cultivation Details
Wild snake gourd is a plant of the moist tropics, where it is found at elevations from sea level to 1,500 metres. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 22 - 35°c, but can tolerate 14 - 38°c[
]. The plant does not tolerate frost. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 2,000 - 2,500mm, but tolerates 700 - 4,200mm[
].
Prefers a sunny position, tolerating light shade[
]. Requires a rich well-drained soil and plenty of moisture in the growing season[
1- Title
- RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956
- Publication
-
- Author
- F. Chittendon.
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press
- Year
- 1951
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).
]. Prefers a pH in the range 6.5 - 7, tolerating 6 - 8[
]. Plants are intolerant of drought[
300- Title
- Vegetables in the Tropics
- Publication
-
- Author
- Tindall. H. D.
- Publisher
- MacMillan, Oxford.
- Year
- 1983
- ISBN
- 0-333-24268-8
- Description
- An excellent, in-depth look at the main vegetable crops that can be grown in the Tropics, plus many less well-known plants.
].
Edible Uses
The fruit is bitter and inedible[
310- Title
- Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://proseanet.org/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
].
Medicinal
The fruit is emetic, purgative and vermifuge[
310- Title
- Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://proseanet.org/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
,
348- Title
- Medicinal Plants of the Guianas
- Publication
-
- Author
- DeFilipps, R. A.; Maina, S. L.; & Crepin, J.
- Website
- http://botany.si.edu/bdg/medicinal/index.html
- Publisher
- Smithsonian Museum
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A down-loadable PDF document of a book in pre-publication awaiting illustration. An excellent, if rather terse, guide to the traditional medicinal uses of the plants of the region
].
The inner pulp of the fruit is made into a syrup to treat cough[
310- Title
- Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://proseanet.org/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
].
Other Uses
None known
Propagation
Seed -
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Useful Tropical Plants Database 2014 by
Ken Fern,
web interface by
Ajna Fern
with help from
Richard Morris.
