Trichosanthes quinquangulata A. Gray
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Synonyms
None
Vernacular Names
| Indonesia | kalayar (Sundanese). |
| Philippines | kalanum-uak (Bisaya), katimbau (Iloko), patolang-gubat (Tagalog). |
Geographical Distributions
Trichosanthes quinquangulata is distributed from Laos, Vietnam, Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, Java, Borneo and the Philippines.
Description
T. quinquangulata is a large monoecious and perennial vine can grow up to measure 6 m long. The stem is an angular and smooth.
The leaves are roundish in outline, shallowly or sometimes deeply 5-7-lobed and up to measure 20 cm in diametre. The base is cordate, acute lobes and hairless or glabrescent. The petal is a measure about 7-9 cm in diameter. The male inflorescence is a measure about 15-20 cm long, elliptical to obovate-lanceolate in shape of bracts that are with a size of measure about 15-20 mm long and subentire. The female flowers are solitary.
The red fruit is spherical in shape and it is measure about 5-10 cm in diametre.
The seeds are elliptical in shape with obtusely acuminate apex and compressed.
Ecology / Cultivation
T. quinquangulata occurs in thickets, old clearings and rocky places up to 1500 m altitude.
Line Drawing / Photograph
References
- Plant Resources of South-East Asia No. 12 (1): Medicinal and poisonous plants.
