Trichosanthes kirilowii

FructusTrichosanthis

Snake gourd fruit

[alias] tianxie, shanjinpao, yaoguapi.

[source] the fruit of Trichosanthes kirilowii Maxim.

[plant morphology] perennial grass Liana. The stem has edge line and tendrils 2-3. The leaves are alternate, broad ovate heart-shaped, similar in length and width, 5-14cm, 3-5-lobed to deeply lobed, often re divided at the edge, with round lobules and slightly hairy on both sides. Male flowers in the upper 1 / 3, 3-8 racemes, sometimes solitary, sepals linear, corolla white, lobes fan-shaped inverted triangle, the tip of tassel 1.5-2CM long; female flowers solitary, pedicel about 6cm long. The fruit is oval to spherical, 7-11cm long and orange yellow. Seeds oblate, 11-16mm long and 7-12mm wide. The flowering period is from June to August and the fruiting period is from September to October.

It grows on hillside, grass and forest edge. It is mainly produced in Shandong, Henan and Hebei.

[harvest] the fruit should be harvested when it turns light yellow at the end of autumn and hung in a ventilated place to dry in the shade.

[traits] the fruit is ovoid or quasi spherical, 7-15cm long, 6-10cm in diameter, with dark orange yellow to orange red surface, wrinkled or smooth, residual style base at the top and residual fruit stalk at the base; it is crisp, easy to break, slightly thick peel, yellowish white inner surface and orange yellow pulp, and adheres to most seeds. The gas is like caramel; the taste is slightly sour and sweet.

[chemical constituents] the fruit contains triterpenoid saponins, amino acids, sugars and organic acids; the seed contains oleic acid, linoleic acid and sterols.

[flavor] cold, sweet and slightly bitter.

[indications] clearing away heat and phlegm, widening chest and dispersing nodules, moistening intestines. It is used for cough due to lung heat, yellow and thick phlegm, chest obstruction and heartache, swelling and pain of breast carbuncle, lung carbuncle and bowel carbuncle.

[note] the root name contains trichosanthin, which can clear away heat, generate fluid, eliminate pus and remove swelling. The pure trichosanthin is used for the induction of labor in the second trimester to prevent early pregnancy.

Chinese PinYin : Gua Lou