| Habit | herbaceous
| |
|---|---|---|
| Height: | ⇕ | 8 ft"ft" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 8. to 20 ft"ft" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 20. |
| Width: | ⇔ | 5 ft"ft" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 5. to 10 ft"ft" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 10. |
| Lifespan: | ⌛ | annual |
| Exposure: | ☼ | sun |
|---|---|---|
| Features: | ✓ | edible, fruit |
| USDA Zones: | 10 to 12 | |
| Flower features: | ❀ | white |
|
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Trichosanthes cucumerina is a tropical or subtropical vine, raised for its strikingly long fruit, used as a vegetable and for medicine. Other names include snake gourd ( Trichosanthes cucumerina var. anguina ), serpent gourd, chichinga, and padwal.
The narrow, soft-skinned fruit can reach 150 cm long. Its soft, bland, somewhat mucilaginous flesh is similar to that of the luffa and the calabash. It is most popular in the cuisine of South Asia and Southeast Asia. The shoots, tendrils, and leaves are also eaten as greens.
Cultivation
Propagation
Pests and diseases
Varieties
Gallery
The lace-like flower of T. cucumerina opens only after dark. Here, it is shown in the process of unfurling.
A full grown snake gourd.
photo 1
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photo 2
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photo 3
References
External links
- w:Trichosanthes cucumerina. Some of the material on this page may be from Wikipedia, under the Creative Commons license.
- Trichosanthes cucumerina QR Code (Size 50, 100, 200, 500)