Trichosanthes ovigera (PROSEA)
Introduction |
Trichosanthes ovigera Blume
- Protologue: Bijdr. fl. Ned. Ind.: 934 (1826).
Synonyms
- Trichosanthes horsfieldii Miq. (1856),
- Trichosanthes cucumeroides (Ser.) Maxim. ex Fr. & Sav. (1875),
- Trichosanthes himalensis C.B. Clarke (1879).
Vernacular names
- Indonesia: areuy tiwuk (Sundanese)
- Vietnam: hoa bát.
Distribution
From the Himalayas to China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Thailand, Sumatra, Java, the Lesser Sunda Islands and north-eastern Australia.
Uses
In China, Japan and Taiwan the root is regarded as a good remedy for intestinal parasites, jaundice and bloody stools. It is also considered to be a diuretic and galactagogue. In eastern China, it is a substitute for T. kirilowii. In Taiwan, the root and seeds are applied to soothe the throat and lungs and to prevent inflammation, and are also considered to be a bechic, expectorant and thirst quenching. Boiled fruits are eaten as a side dish with rice. In China and Japan the starch of the tubers is sometimes extracted.
Observations
- A dioecious, perennial vine, stem angular, sparsely puberulous to glabrescent.
- Leaves broadly ovate to suborbicular in outline, unlobed to deeply 3-5-lobed, 7-15 cm × 6-15 cm, base deeply cordate, lobes ovate to obovate, obtuse to acute, mucronate, denticulate, scabrid above, densely pubescent to velvety below.
- Corolla up to 5 cm in diameter; male flowers in 6-20 cm long racemes, bracts narrowly obovate, 5-10 mm long, dentate; female flowers solitary.
- Fruit ovoid to ellipsoidal, 8-10 cm × 2.5-3 cm, glabrous.
- Seeds broadly ovate, cylindrical.
T. ovigera is found in light forests, forest margins, thickets and roadsides, up to 1600 m altitude.
Selected sources
- [97] Backer, C.A. & Bakhuizen van den Brink Jr, R.C., 1963-1968. Flora of Java. 3 volumes. Noordhoff, Groningen, the Netherlands. Vol. 1 (1963) 647 pp., Vol. 2 (1965) 641 pp., Vol. 3 (1968) 761 pp.
- [486] Gildemacher, B.H., Jansen, G.J. & Chayamarit, K., 1993. Trichosanthes L. In: Siemonsma, J.S. & Kasem Piluek (Editors): Plant Resources of South East Asia No 8. Vegetables. Pudoc Scientific Publishers, Wageningen, the Netherlands. pp. 271-274.
- [721] Keraudren-Aymonin, M., 1975. Cucurbitacées [Cucurbitaceae]. In: Vidal, J.E. & Galibert, Y. (Editors): Flore du Cambodge, du Laos et du Vietnam [Flora of Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam]. Vol. 15. Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France. 123 pp.
- [870] Liu, H.-Y., 1993. Cucurbitaceae. In: Huang, T.-C. (Editor). Flora of Taiwan. 2nd Edition. Vol. 3. Editorial Committee of the Flora of Taiwan, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China. pp. 855-871.
- [1024] Ng, T.B., Chan, W.Y. & Yeung, H.W., 1992. Proteins with abortifacient ribosome inactivating immunomodulatory antitumor and anti-AIDS activities from Cucurbitaceae plants. General Pharmacology 23(4): 575-590.
- [1126] Perry, L.M., 1980. Medicinal plants of East and Southeast Asia. Attributed properties and uses. MIT Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States & London, United Kingdom. 620 pp.
- [1263] Rugayah & de Wilde, W.J.J.O., 1997. Trichosanthes L. (Cucurbitaceae) in Java. Blumea 42(2): 471-482.
- [1443] Telford, I.R., 1982. Cucurbitaceae. In: George, A.S. (Editor): Flora of Australia. Vol. 8. Lecythidales to Batales. Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra, Australia. pp. 158-198.
Main genus page
- Trichosanthes (Medicinal plants)
- See also under Trichosanthes (PROSEA Vegetables) for the vegetable use.
Authors
- M.S.M. Sosef, E. Boer & N. Bunyapraphatsara