''Trichosanthes'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

tropical The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the Equator. They are defined in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere at N and the Tropic of Capricorn in the Southern Hemisphere at S. The tropics are also referred to ...

and

subtropical The subtropical zones or subtropics are geographical zone, geographical and Köppen climate classification, climate zones to the Northern Hemisphere, north and Southern Hemisphere, south of the tropics. Geographically part of the Geographical z ...

vine A vine (Latin ''vīnea'' "grapevine", "vineyard", from ''vīnum'' "wine") is any plant with a growth habit of trailing or scandent (that is, climbing) stems, lianas or runners. The word ''vine'' can also refer to such stems or runners themselv ...

s. They belong to the cucumber

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

( Cucurbitaceae), and are closely related to '' Gymnopetalum''. ''

Hodgsonia ''Hodgsonia'' is a small genus of fruit-bearing vines in the family Cucurbitaceae. ''Hodgsonia'' was named for Brian Houghton Hodgson in 1853 by British botanists Joseph Dalton Hooker and Thomas Thomson, who examined the plant under Hodgson's ho ...

'', formerly included here, is usually considered a well-distinct genus nowadays. The shoots,

tendril In botany, a tendril is a specialized stem, leaf or petiole with a threadlike shape used by climbing plants for support and attachment, as well as cellular invasion by parasitic plants such as ''Cuscuta''. There are many plants that have tendr ...

s, and

leaves A leaf (plural, : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant plant stem, stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", wh ...

of some or possibly all species may be eaten as

greens Greens may refer to: *Leaf vegetables such as collard greens, mustard greens, spring greens, winter greens, spinach, etc. Politics Supranational * Green politics * Green party, political parties adhering to Green politics * Global Greens * Europ ...

, and at least two species (

serpent gourd ''Trichosanthes cucumerina'' is a tropical or subtropical vine. Its variety ''T. cucumerina'' var. ''anguina'' raised for its strikingly long fruit. In Asia, it is eaten immature as a vegetable much like the summer squash and in Africa, the redd ...

, ''T. cucumerina'', and

pointed gourd ''Trichosanthes dioica'' Roxb., also known as pointed gourd, is a tropical perennial cucurbit plant with its origin in the Indian subcontinent. It is also known as parwal, palwal, potol, or parmalin in different parts of India and Bangladesh. ...

, ''T. dioica'') are grown commercially for their fleshy

fruit In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particu ...

s used as

vegetable Vegetables are parts of plants that are consumed by humans or other animals as food. The original meaning is still commonly used and is applied to plants collectively to refer to all edible plant matter, including the flowers, fruits, stems, ...

s, most popular in

South Asia South Asia is the southern subregion of Asia, which is defined in both geographical and ethno-cultural terms. The region consists of the countries of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.;;;;;;;; ...

and

Southeast Asia Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, south-eastern region of Asia, consistin ...

. At least two species ('' T. kirilowii'' and '' T. rosthornii'') are grown for use in

traditional Chinese medicine Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is an alternative medical practice drawn from traditional medicine in China. It has been described as "fraught with pseudoscience", with the majority of its treatments having no logical mechanism of action ...

, where they are called the name ''gualou'' (). ''Trichosanthes'' is also known as a medicinal as well as poisonous plant in India. The herb has shown an ability to reduce chest congestion by breaking down phlegm and aiding in its removal from the lungs.

Selected species

Trichosanthes napoiensis and Trichosanthes pedata habit and seeds

* '' Trichosanthes baviensis'' Gagnepain * ''

Trichosanthes cochinchinensis ''Trichosanthes cochinchinensis'' is a climbing plant in the family Cucurbitaceae, but the name may be unresolved, with The Plant List indicating that '' Gymnopetalum cochinchinense'' is a synonym of ''G. chinense'' (Lour.) Merr. No subspecies a ...

'' (Lour) M. Roem. * ''

Trichosanthes cucumerina ''Trichosanthes cucumerina'' is a tropical or subtropical vine. Its variety ''T. cucumerina'' var. ''anguina'' raised for its strikingly long fruit. In Asia, it is eaten immature as a vegetable much like the summer squash and in Africa, the redd ...

'' –

Serpent gourd ''Trichosanthes cucumerina'' is a tropical or subtropical vine. Its variety ''T. cucumerina'' var. ''anguina'' raised for its strikingly long fruit. In Asia, it is eaten immature as a vegetable much like the summer squash and in Africa, the redd ...

, Padwal; ''dhunduli'' (Assamese); ''chichinga/chichinge'' (Bengali); ''paduvalakaayi'' (Kannada); ''padavalanga'' (Malayalam); ''purla'' (Sambalpuri); ''pathola'' (Sinhala); ''Pudol'', ''Kurattai'' OR ''Sauri'' (Tamil); ''potlakaaya'' (Telugu) ** ''Trichosanthes cucumerina'' var. ''anguina'' – Snake gourd * '' Trichosanthes dioica'' –

Pointed gourd ''Trichosanthes dioica'' Roxb., also known as pointed gourd, is a tropical perennial cucurbit plant with its origin in the Indian subcontinent. It is also known as parwal, palwal, potol, or parmalin in different parts of India and Bangladesh. ...

, (Hindi), / (eastern India & Northeastern Andhra) * '' Trichosanthes dunniana'' Levl. * '' Trichosanthes fissibracteata'' C.Y.Wu ex C.Y.Cheng & Yueh * ''

Trichosanthes globosa ''Trichosanthes'' is a genus of tropical and subtropical vines. They belong to the cucumber family ( Cucurbitaceae), and are closely related to '' Gymnopetalum''. ''Hodgsonia'', formerly included here, is usually considered a well-distinct genus ...

'' Blume * '' Trichosanthes homophylla'' Hayata * '' Trichosanthes kerrii'' Craib * '' Trichosanthes kinabaluensis'' Rugayah * ''

Trichosanthes kirilowii ''Trichosanthes kirilowii'' is a flowering plant in the family Cucurbitaceae found particularly in Henan, Shandong, Hebei, Shanxi, and Shaanxi. It is one of the 50 fundamental herbs used in traditional Chinese medicine, where it shares the name ...

'' – ''"gualou"'' (China) (= ''T. japonica'') * '' Trichosanthes laceribractea'' Hayata * '' Trichosanthes lepiniana'' (Nuad.)

Cogn. Célestin Alfred Cogniaux (7 April 1841 – 15 April 1916) was a Belgian botanist. Amongst other plants, the genus '' Neocogniauxia'' of orchids is named after him. In 1916 his enormous private herbarium was acquired by the National Botanic ...

* '' Trichosanthes montana'' Rugayah * '' Trichosanthes pedata'' Merr. & Chun * '' Trichosanthes pendula'' Rugayah * '' Trichosanthes pilosa'' (Ser.) Maxim in Franch. & Sav. - Japanese snake gourd; ''karasuuri ��瓜' (Japanese) * '' Trichosanthes pentaphylla'' F.Muell. ex Benth. * '' Trichosanthes postarii'' W.J.de Wilde & Duyfjes * '' Trichosanthes quinquangulata'' A.Gray * '' Trichosanthes reticulinervis'' C.Y.Wu ex S.K.Chen * ''

Trichosanthes rosthornii ''Trichosanthes'' is a genus of tropical and subtropical vines. They belong to the cucumber family (Cucurbitaceae), and are closely related to '' Gymnopetalum''. ''Hodgsonia'', formerly included here, is usually considered a well-distinct genus n ...

'' Harms – ''"gualou"'' (China) (= ''T. uniflora'') * '' Trichosanthes rubiflos'' Thorel ex Cayla * '' Trichosanthes rugatisemina'' C.Y.Cheng & Yueh * '' Trichosanthes schlechteri'' Cogn. ex Harms * '' Trichosanthes sepilokensis'' Rugayah * '' Trichosanthes sericeifolia'' C.Y.Cheng & Yueh * '' Trichosanthes subrosea'' C.Y.Cheng & Yueh * '' Trichosanthes subvelutina'' F.Muell. ex Cogn. * '' Trichosanthes tricuspidata'' Lour. (= ''T. bracteata, T. palmata'') * '' Trichosanthes truncata'' C.B.Clarke * '' Trichosanthes villosa'' Blume * '' Trichosanthes wallichiana'' (Ser.) Wight * '' Trichosanthes wawraei'' (Ser.) Xianyu.W In addition, several

hybrid Hybrid may refer to: Science * Hybrid (biology), an offspring resulting from cross-breeding ** Hybrid grape, grape varieties produced by cross-breeding two ''Vitis'' species ** Hybridity, the property of a hybrid plant which is a union of two dif ...

s are known in this genus. Formerly placed in ''Trichosanthes'' were for example '' Kedrostis foetidissima'' and '' Linnaeosicyos amara''.

References

External links

*
Multilingual taxonomic information from the University of Melbourne

ITIS report
{{Taxonbar, from=Q134496 Cucurbitaceae genera Medicinal plants Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus Plants described in 1753