Food Plants International - Plant Fact Sheets Trichosanthes cucumerina
Edible : Leaves, Fruit, Vegetable,
A pumpkin family plant. It is a climber with tendrils. It grows 2.4-6 m high and spreads 1.5-3 m wide. The vine has furrows along it. The leaves have 3 to 7 lobes and a tooth like edge. The flowers are white. The male flowers are without a bract and the female flowers are produced singly. The flowers have long stalks. The long fruit tend to curve. They can be 1-2 m long. When ripe they turn orange or red, but are grey and green when young.
A tropical plant. It is common in the humid tropical lowlands up to 500 m. It does not tolerate dry soil and requires a good moisture reserve in the soil, but is sensitive to water-logging. The optimum temperature for growth is 30-35°C with a minimum of 20°C. It occurs throughout the Philippines at low and medium altitudes up to 1200 m. It suits hardiness zones 10-12. In Yunnan.
Common names : Snake gourd, Amritaphala, Ban chichinda, Banpatal, Banpatol, Ban potol, Begul, Bettada-padawala, Binisi noki, Boap nguu, Bonlon, Buap ngu, Buap nguu, Buap-khom, Calabaza de culebra, Chachinda, Chayud pottah, Chetipotla, Chhachhindara, Cichanda, Chichinda, Chichindo, Chichinga, Chikonda, Chichinda, Chirchira, Club gourd, Galartori, Hebi-uri, Jangli chachinda, Jangli-chachinda, Jangli chichanda, Kadwamparwal, Kashtbhanjan, Lilkaetha, Lingapotla, Melon-melonan, Na-we-ngon, Padavalanga, Padivilangu, Padval, Padwal, Padavali, Paeypuda, Pakupis, Pare welut, Pare-belut, Pathola, Pe-lin-mwe, Pe-lum-mwe-thi, Pepatolam, Pepoodel, Petola ular, Petola-ular, Podalangai, Potlakaaya, Pudal, Pu-lultha, Ranacha padawal, Sze gwa, Thabut-kha, Timun bengkok, Tola ular,
Synonyms : Trichosanthes anguina L.;
Trichosanthes brevibrachteata Kundu;
Trichosanthes pachyrrhachis Kundu;
and others