Trichosanthes lobata

Botanical name : Trichosanthes lobata Roxb.
Family : Cucurbitaceae

SANSKRIT SYNONYMS
Patola, Vanapatola, Tiktapatola

AYURVEDIC PROPERTIES
Rasa : Tikta
Guna : Lakhu, Snigdha
Virya : Ushna
Vipaka : Katu

PLANT NAME IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES
English : Bitter snake gourd, Wild snake gourd
Hindi : Jangali cicinda
Malayalam : Kaypan patolam, Kattupatolam, Peppatolam

Distribution – Throughout India, in wet plants and hill sides, also cultivated.

PLANT DESCRIPTION
An annual, slender tendril climber. Leaves simple, reniform, or ovate, some times 5 lobbed and glabrous; flowers white, unisexual, males in axillary racemes, females axillary solitary; fruits ovoid, fusiform berries. Green stripped with white line when immature, and scarlet red when ripe. Seeds round or ellipsoid, compressed.

MEDICINAL PROPERTIES
Plant pacifies vitiated tridosha, skin diseases, ulcers, constipation, stomach pain, anorexia, flatulence, hyperacidity, hemorrhoids, cough, fever and general debility. Induces emesis and purgation in larger doses.
Useful part : Whole plant.