Madras pea pumpkin, Chirati, Rough bryony
Mukia maderaspatana

Family: Cucurbitaceae

What it is like

A herb. It is a pumpkin family plant. It keeps growing from year to year. It can be climbing or have the stems trail along the ground. They are 3 m long. They have bristly hairs. The tendrils and thin and simple. The leaves are spear shaped or almost triangle shaped. They can have lobed and teeth. They are 2-9 cm long and 5 mm wide. The fruit are berries. They are in groups of 1-7 on short stalks. They are clustered in the axils of the leaves. They are red. The plant varies a lot. Probably now Cucumis maderaspatana.

There are about 4 Mukia species.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It grows in forest and along rivers. It is often on sandy soils. It grows in savannah grassland. It grows between 300-1,250 m above sea level. In the Indian Himalayas it grows between 1,300-2,100 m above sea level. In Yunnan.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Asia, Australia, Bangladesh, Botswana, Cambodia, China, Côte d'Ivoire, East Africa, Eswatini, Gambia, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Himalayas, India, Indochina, Ivory Coast, Laos, Malawi, Malaysia, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Northeastern India, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Sahel, SE Asia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Southern Africa, Sri Lanka, Swaziland, Taiwan, Togo, Vietnam, West Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

The ripe fruit are eaten. The leaves and seeds are used in curries.

The fruit are eaten especially by children.

Edible parts

Leaves, fruit, seeds

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Agumaki, Bilari, Bristly bryony, Cauqua nham, Chirati, Choti kakdi, Galgughri, Ghugri, Goi gawasi, Guliya-kakri, Gwala kakri, Heen kekeri, Hurya kakdi, Ilayam, Killari, Kooturubudama, Madras sea pumpkin, Math ghughri, Mosu mosu keerai, Mukkalpeeram, Mukkapeera, Musumusukkai, Noogudosa, Pahari kakharu, Telakucha

Synonyms

Byonia cordifolia L.; Bryonia scabrella L.; Coccinia cordifolia (L.) Cogn.; Cucumis maderaspatana Linn.; Melothria maderaspatana (Linn.) Cogn.; Mukia scabrella Arn.; and others