Trichosanthes multiloba
Family: Cucurbitaceae
What it is like
Trichosanthes multiloba is a PERENNIAL CLIMBER at a fast rate. It is frost tender. It is in flower from July to September. 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): 0
Where it is found
Found at elevations between 600 and 1,800 metres in the Himalayas
E. Asia - China, central and southern Japan and the eastern Himalayas.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 2
An edible starch is obtained from the root. It requires leeching. The root is harvested in the autumn, cut into thick slices, soaked for 4 - 5 days in water, changing the water daily until the root disintegrates and can be mashed into a fine pulp. It is then steamed into cakes or used for making dumplings. The starch is mixed with wheat or rice flour and made into crackers, dumplings, noodles etc.
Oil: Oil
Root: includes bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes etc.
Medicine
Rating: 1
Antitussive, astringent, diuretic, febrifuge, tonic.
Antitussive: Prevents or relieves coughing.
Astringent: Produces contraction in living tissue, reducing the flow of secretions and discharges of blood, mucus, diarrhoea etc.
Diuretic: Acts on the kidneys, promoting the flow of urine.
Febrifuge: Reduces fevers.
Tonic: Improves general health. Slower acting than a stimulant, it brings steady improvement.
Other
Rating: 2
An oil from the seed is used for lighting.
Oil: Vegetable oils have many uses, as lubricants, lighting, soap and paint making, waterproofing etc. This does not include the edible oils unless they are also mentioned as having other uses.
How it is grown
Requires a rich well-drained soil and plenty of moisture in the growing season. This species is not winter hardy in Britain and usually requires greenhouse cultivation. However, it may be possible to grow it as a spring-sown annual in a very warm sheltered bed outdoors. Closely related to T. palmata, and possibly no more than a form of that species, it differs only in its fruit.
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 some protection, such as a frame or cloche, until the plants are growing away well.
Best place to grow: Cultivated Beds;
Habit: Perennial Climber
Hardiness:
Growth: Fast
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: No shade
Moisture: Moist