Snake Gourd
Trichosanthes cucumerina anguina

Family: Cucurbitaceae

What it is like

Trichosanthes cucumerina anguina is a ANNUAL CLIMBER growing to 5 m (16ft 5in) at a fast rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 10 and is frost tender. It is in flower from July to September, and the seeds ripen from September to October. The species is monoecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but both sexes can be found on the same plant) and is pollinated by Insects. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil.

Height (m): 5

Where it is found

Not known

Not known in the wild.

Conservation Status: This taxon has not yet been assessed

Countries/locations it is found in

How it is used

Food

Rating: 2

Young fruit - cooked. It can be used in curries or eaten as a vegetable like green beans. Mature fruits can be up to 2 metres long and 10cm thick. The bright red pulp around the mature seeds is extracted and used in cooking in much the same way that tomatoes are used. Leaves and young shoots - cooked.

Medicine

Rating: 1

The fruit is considered to be anthelmintic, emetic and purgative. The seed is said to be cooling. Peptides in the plant are used as an abortifacient in China.

Abortifacient: Causes an abortion.

Anthelmintic: Expels parasites from the gut.

Emetic: Induces vomiting.

Purgative: A drastic laxative causing a cleansing or watery evacuation of the bowels, usually with a griping pain.

Other

Rating: 0

How it is grown

Requires a rich well-drained soil and plenty of moisture in the growing season. Cultivated in India for its edible fruit it is not hardy in Britain, requiring greenhouse cultivation, though it may be possible to grow it as an annual in a very warm sheltered bed outdoors. The plant is very variable in the shape of the fruit, there are some named varieties. Plants grow best with short daylengths and stable temperatures above 25°c. Plants climb by means of tendrils and also have a slightly twining stem. A weight is sometimes attached to the growing fruit to ensure that it grows straight.

Propagating it: Seed - sow March in pots in a warm greenhouse in a rich soil. Sow 2 - 3 seeds per pot and thin to the strongest plant. Grow them on fast and plant out after the last expected frosts. Give them some protection, such as a frame or cloche, until the plants are growing away well.

Best place to grow: Cultivated Beds;

Habit: Annual Climber

Hardiness: 10-12

Growth: Fast

Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)

Shade: No shade

Moisture: Moist

Things to keep in mind

Its other names

Local names

club gourd, serpent gourd, serpent-cucumber, she gua, snake gourd, viper's gourd.

Synonyms

T. anguina