Trichosanthes cucumerina
{{Short description|Species of vine}}
{{Distinguish|Trichosanthes dioica|text=}}
{{Italic title}}
{{Speciesbox
|name = Snake gourd
|image = Trichosanthes cucumerina var. anguina compose.jpg
|genus = Trichosanthes
|species = cucumerina
|authority = L.
|synonyms = *Anguina cucumerina (L.) Kuntze
- Cucumis anguinus (L.) L.
- Involucraria anguina (L.) M.Roem.
- Trichosanthes ambrozii Domin
- Trichosanthes anguina L.
- Trichosanthes brevibracteata Kundu
- Trichosanthes colubrina J.Jacq.
- Trichosanthes cucumerina var. anguina (L.) Haines
- Trichosanthes pachyrrhachis Kundu
- Trichosanthes pedatifolia Miq.
- Trichosanthes petala Buch.-Ham. ex Wall.
|synonyms_ref = [http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl1.1/record/kew-2433288 The Plant List, Trichosanthes cucumerina]
}}
Trichosanthes cucumerina is a tropical or subtropical vine. Its variety T. cucumerina var. anguina raised for its strikingly long fruit. In Asia, it is eaten immature as a vegetable much like the summer squash and in Africa, the reddish pulp of mature snake gourd is used as an economical substitute for tomato.Kew Gardens. Snake gourd Trichosanthes cucumerina var. anguina. http://www.kew.org/support-kew/adopt-a-seed/trichosanthes-cucumerina-var-anguina.htm Common names for the cultivated variety include snake gourd{{refn|group=note|name=snake gourd robinson|Robinson and Decker-Walters (1997Robinson RW and DS Decker-Walters. 1997. Appendix: Common Cucurbit Names and their Scientific Equivalents. in: Cucurbits. CAB International, USA.) p. 203-206: "Snake gourd" preferred name for Trichosanthes cucumerina, and Trichosanthes cucumerina preferred definition for "snake gourd".}}, serpent gourd, chichinda padwal{{Cite web |last=Martins |first=Chukwuebuka |date=2023-07-12 |title=Top 8 Health Benefits Of Snake Gourd (Snake Tomato) |url=https://www.nccmed.com/top-8-health-benefits-of-snake-gourd-snake-tomato/ |access-date=2023-07-12 |language=en-US}} and Snake Tomato.
Trichosanthes cucumerina is found in the wild across much of South and Southeast Asia, including India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar(Burma) and southern China (Guangxi and Yunnan).[http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=200022762 Flora of China v 19 p 38, Trichosanthes cucumerina] It is also regarded as native in northern Australia.[http://florabase.dpaw.wa.gov.au/browse/profile/7381 Florabase, the Western Australia Flora, Trichosanthes cucumerina]Coopper, Wendy E., & Hugo J. DeBoer. 2011. A taxonomic revision of Trichosanthes L. (Cucurbitaceae) in Australia, including one new species from Northern Territory. Austrobaileya 8:364-386. and naturalized in Florida,[http://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=TRCU3 United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Plants Profile, Trichosanthes cucumerina, snakegourd] parts of Africa and on various islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans.[http://database.prota.org/PROTAhtml/Trichosanthes%20cucumerina_En.htm Prota 2, Vegetables/Légumes, Trichosanthes cucumerina L.]
Formerly, the cultivated form was considered a distinct species, T. anguina, but it is now generally regarded as conspecific with the wild populations, as they freely interbreed:
- Trichosanthes cucumerina var. anguina (L.) Haines – cultivated variant
- Trichosanthes cucumerina var. cucumerina – wild variant
Description
File:Trichosanthes anguina.jpg
Trichosanthes cucumerina is a monoecious annual vine climbing by means of tendrils. Leaves are palmately lobed, up to 25 cm long. Flowers are unisexual, white, opening at night, with long branching hairs on the margins of the petals. These hairs are curled up in the daytime when the flower is closed, but unfurl at night to form a delicate lacy display (see photos in gallery below). Fruits can be up to 200 cm long, deep red at maturity, hanging below the vine.
The related Japanese snake gourd (Trichosanthes pilosa, sometimes called T. ovigera or T. cucumeroides), very similar in vegetative morphology, but the fruit of T. pilosa is round to egg-shaped, only about 7 cm long.[http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=200022763 Flora of China v 19 p 45, Trichosanthes cucumeroides]
Cultivation
The fruit can be induced to grow straight by tying a weight to the end.{{cite book |last1=Hutton |first1=Wendy |title=A Cook's Guide to Asian Vegetables |date=2004 |publisher=Periplus Editions |location=Singapore |isbn=0794600786 |pages=88-89}}
Uses
= Culinary =
The common name "snake gourd" refers to the narrow, twisted, elongated fruit. The soft-skinned immature fruit can reach up to {{convert|150|cm|in|abbr=on}} in length. It is soft, bland, somewhat mucilaginous flesh is similar to that of the luffa and the calabash.
It is popular in the cuisines of South Asia and Southeast Asia and is now grown in some home gardens in Africa.{{Cn|date=October 2024}}
The primary culinary use of snake gourds is in curries and stews.
In the different regions of South Asia, it's quite common and is known by various names like:
- Hindi- chechenḍa / chichinḍa (चेचेण्डा / चिचिण्डा)
- Punjabi- gala tori (ਗਲਾ ਤੋਰੀ)
- Garhwali-chachenḍa (चचेंण्डा)
- Gujarati- panḍoḷnu (પંડોળું)
- Nepali- chichinno (चिचिन्नो)
- Marathi- paḍwaḷ (पडवळ)
- Konkani- poḍḍaḷe (पोड्डळे)
- Bengali- chichinga (চিচিঙ্গা)
- Odia- chhachindra (ଛଚିନ୍ଦ୍ରା)
- Assamese- dhunduli (ধুন্দুলি)
- Tamil- puḍalangai (புடலங்காய)
- Kannada- paḍavalkai (ಪಡವಲಕಾಯಿ)
- Telugu- poṭlakaya (పొట్లకాయ)
- Malayalam- paḍavalanga (പടവലങ്ങ)
- Tulu- paṭla kay (ಪಟ್ಲ ಕಾಯ್)
- Meitei- lin manbi (ꯂꯤꯟ ꯃꯥꯅꯕꯤ)
- Sinhala- pathola (පතෝල)
With some cultivars, the immature fruit has an unpleasant odor and a slightly bitter taste, both of which disappear in cooking. The fruit becomes too bitter to eat as it reaches maturity, but it does contain a reddish pulp that is used in Africa as a substitute for tomatoes.[http://www.kew.org/news/kew-blogs/millennium-seed-bank/the-weird-and-wonderful-snake-gourd.htm Kew Gardens Millennium Seed Bank, the weird and wonderful snake gourd] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131014070540/http://www.kew.org/news/kew-blogs/millennium-seed-bank/the-weird-and-wonderful-snake-gourd.htm |date=2013-10-14 }}
= Other =
The dried gourds were traditionally used as a soap substitute in some parts of Asia.
Gallery
File:Trichosanthes cucumerina flower.jpg|The lace-like flower of T. cucumerina opens only after dark. Here, it is shown almost completely unfurled.
File:Trichosanthes cucumerina flower 1.jpg|In the process of unfurling its fimbriate petals.
File:Trichosanthes cucumerina (snake gourd).jpg|An edible immature snake gourd.
File:ヘビウリの実.jpg|It twists and becomes orange-red while elongated and ripened.
File:Thichosanthes cucumerina, the snake gourds, variable fruit shapes and colors as seen in cultivation.jpg|Different maturity stages and shapes as seen in cultivation.
File:The flower of a type of bitter guard in hand.JPG|Flower and flower buds.
File:Snake gourd semilooper anadevidia peponis larvae.JPG|Snake gourd semilooper Anadevidia peponis larva, a major pest of T. cucumerina
File:Snake gourd freshly harvested.jpg|Freshly harvested snake gourd from India.
See also
- Trichosanthes kirilowii, Chinese snake gourd{{refn|group=note|name=chinese snake gourd robinson|Robinson and Decker-Walters (1997) p. 203-206: "Chinese snake gourd" preferred name for Trichosanthes kirilowii, and Trichosanthes kirilowii preferred definition for "chinese snake gourd".}}
- Trichosanthes ovigera, Japanese snake gourd{{refn|group=note|name=japanese snake gourd robinson|Robinson and Decker-Walters (1997) p. 203-206: "Japanese snake gourd" preferred name for Trichosanthes ovigera, and Trichosanthes ovigera preferred definition for "japanese snake gourd".}}
- Lagenaria siceraria, some of its immature edible cultivars can be found as "snake gourds", not the preferred name.{{refn|group=note|name=lagenaria snake decker-walters|Decker-Walters (1996DS Decker-Walters (ed., 1996-2010) [http://cuke.hort.ncsu.edu/cucurbit/wehner/vegcult/grdlagenaria.html Vegetable Cultivar Descriptions for North America. Gourd - Lagenaria, Lists 1-26 Combined]. In: [http://cuke.hort.ncsu.edu/cucurbit/index.html Cucurbit Breeding. Horticultural Science].): "Gourd - Lagenaria. (...) Longissima (Baton, Long Club, Italian Edible, Cucuzzi, Cucuzzi Caravazzi, Snake, Flute, Serpent) - Vendor: Vilmorin. Characteristics: similar to Hercules Club but longer, edible at 1' long x 2" diameter but will grow to 6' long; from Italy. Similar: Hercules Club. 1885"}}
- Trichosanthes dioica, Pointed gourd or Parwal, also edible when immature.
Notes
{{Reflist|group="note"}}
References
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External links
{{commons category|Trichosanthes cucumerina}}
- [http://medind.nic.in/ibi/t08/i3/ibit08i3p103.pdf Trichosanthes cucumerina Linn. improves glucose tolerance and tissue glycogen in non insulin dependent diabetes mellitus induced rats]
{{Taxonbar|from=Q1323731}}
Category:Plants described in 1753
Category:Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus
Category:Flora of the Indian subcontinent
Category:Rosids of Western Australia