Coccinia grandis (L.) Voigt.

 

Family – Cucurbitaceae

Synonym – Bryonia grandis L.; Cephalandra grandis (L.) Kurz; Cephalandra indica Naudin; Coccinia indica Wight & Arn. 

Vernacular names – Kova; Koval

Habit – Climber

Habitat – Dry deciduous forests and wastelands, also cultivated

Distribution – Tropical Africa, Tropical & Subtropical Asia

Flowering and Fruiting – December-April

Key Identification Features – This perennial shrub has long stems with simple tendrils. Its leaves are alternate, palmately 3-5-lobed or angled, and broadly ovate to orbicular in outline. The flowers are axillary and solitary. Male flowers have a white campanulate corolla, while female flowers have a glandular pubescent ovary. The fruit is ovoid-oblong with red pulp, and the seeds are oblong and compressed.

Uses - It is a culinary vegetable, grown for its edible shoots and fruits. The ripe fruits can be eaten raw, while unripe ones are used in curries.

Zehneria maysorensis Arn.

 

Family: Cucurbitaceae

Synonym: Bryonia maysorensis Wight & Arn.

Habit: Climber

Habitat: Degraded forests and grasslands

Flowering & Fruiting: October-December

Distribution: India to South East Asia

Key identification features: Herbaceous climbers; stem slender, glabrous. Leaves alternate, broadly ovate, cordate at base, acute-acuminate at apex, Plants monoecious. Flowers cream-yellow. Male flowers subumbellate; Female flowers solitary, axillary or co-axillary to the male peduncle; Fruits oblong, finely reticulate rugose; seeds flattened, broadly obovate, smooth at faces.

Uses: Blood purifier

Trichosanthes tricuspidata Lour.

 

Family: Cucurbitaceae

Synonym: Anguina tricuspidata (Lour.) Kuntze

Habit: Climber

Habitat: Deciduous forests, also in the plains

Distribution: India, Himalayas, China, Japan, Malesia, Tropical Australia, Sri Lanka, Myanmar

Flowering and Fruiting: June-December

Key identification features: Climbers with stems robust, branched, angular-striate, grooved, glabrous; branches sulcate. Leaves simple, alternate, spiral; Inflorescences in racemes; Flowers 5-10; Male flower: corolla 5-lobed, papillose; Female flowers axillary, solitary; bracts fimbriate. Berries red with 10 longitudinal orange streaks, globose. Seeds ovate-oblong, smooth on both surfaces.

Uses: Antioxidant, anticancer, antibacterial, antifungal, larvicidal activity

Solena amplexicaulis (Lam.) Gandhi

 

Family: Cucurbitaceae

Synonym: Bryonia amplexicaulis Lam.

Vernacular name: Kakkarikka, Karakia, Kalpurikkadu, Karuvikizhangu, Njerinjampuli

Habit: Climber

Habitat: Deciduous forests

Flowering & Fruiting: April-January

Distribution: India, Afghanistan, Himalayas, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Indo-China, SW.China, Taiwan, Malesia, Australia

Key identification features: Creeping cucumber is a climbing perennial herb with several tuberous roots spindle-shaped. Stem and branches hairless. Male flowers umbellate or subumbellate; flowers are yellow or yellow-white. Female flowers are usually solitary. Fruit red-brown. Seeds gray-white or gray-brown.

Uses: To treat anorexia, digestive problems, flatulence, asthma, gonorrhoea and spermatorrhoea

Diplocyclos palmatus (L.) C.Jeffrey

 Family: Cucurbitaceae

Synonym: Bryonia palmata L., Coccinia palmata (L.) M.Roem.

Vernacular name: Iyiviralikkova, Naiunnikkai, Namakai, Pambukodi, Sivalingakkaya

Habit: Climber

Habitat: Deciduous forests, also in the plains

Distribution: Africa, India, Sri Lanka, China, Japan, Malesia and Australia

Flowering and Fruiting: November-January

Key identification features: Stout climbers; leaves palmately 5-lobed, orbicular-cordate, Flowers monoecious; male and female flowers in axilliary clusters; Fruit globose, with vertical greenish and white patches. Seeds ovoid, compressed with crenulate, transverse ridge.

Uses: Tender leaves are eaten after boiling. The roots are used as an antivenom.The fruits and leaves are used to cure stomach-ache. The fruits are used as a laxative. 

Cucumis maderaspatanus L.

 

Family: Cucurbitaceae

Synonym: Melothria maderaspatana (L.) Cogn., Mukia maderaspatana (L.) M.Roem.

Vernacular name: Kasappuchedi, Mukkalppeeram, Mukkapperam

 Habit: Climber

 Habitat:  Dry deciduous forests

Distribution:                     India, Africa, China, Taiwan, Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand, Myanmar, Philippines, Taiwan

Flowering and Fruiting: Throughout the year

Key identification features: Prostrate or climbing scabrid herbs, with simple tendrils. Male flowers form axillary, sessile clusters, with yellow petals. Female flowers occur singly or in clusters, with a villous ovary. The berry is globose and red, with lenticular, rugose seeds.

Uses: Mukia maderaspatana is used as fodder for livestock due to its palatability and nutritional content.