Japanese snake gourd
Trichosanthes pilosa

Family: Cucurbitaceae

What it is like

A pumpkin family plant. It is a climbing vine. The stems are slender and grooved. They are hairy. The leaves are oval or round and 5-13 cm long by 5-12 cm wide. They are pale green underneath. The fruit are oval and orange to red. They are 6-7 cm long by 4-6 cm wide. They are smooth and have a beak.

Where it is found

It is a subtropical plant. It grows in dense forests and on mountain slopes between 600-1,700 m above sea level in China.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, China, India, Japan, Papua New Guinea, Taiwan, Tibet

How it is used for food

The immature fruit are preserved in salt or miso. The tubers are used for starch.

It is a commercially cultivated vegetable.

Edible parts

Fruit, tubers, root, vegetable

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Huru, Karasu-uri

Synonyms

Bryonia cucumeroides Ser.; and several others