Trichosanthes pilosa explained

Trichosanthes pilosa is a tropical or semitropical vine bearing an edible fruit. It is native to Japan, Taiwan, India, Malaysia, Vietnam, the Philippines, China (Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Hunan, Jiangxi, Sichuan, Xizang (Tibet), Zhejiang) and other parts of southeast Asia as well as in Australia.[1] [2] [3] [4] It is known in English as Japanese snake gourd.

The Japanese snake gourd (T. pilosa), is very similar in its vegetative characters to the more widespread "snake gourd", Trichosanthes cucumerina, the flower and leaves of the two species are very similar but the fruit of T. pilosa are round to egg-shaped, about 7 cm long and not resembling a snake.[5]

Notes and References

  1. Merrill, Elmer Drew. 1914. Philippine Journal of Science. Section C, Botany. Manila, 9: 458, Trichosanthes vanoverberghii in the Philippines
  2. Kundu. 1943. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 43: 382, Trichosanthes ovigera var. sikkimensis, in Sikkim
  3. Blume, Carl Ludwig von. 1826. Bijdragen tot de Flora van Nederlandsch Indie 15: 934, Trichosanthes ovigera in Malaya
  4. Miquel, Friedrich Anton Wilhelm. 1856. Flora van Nederlandsch Indie i. I. 677, Trichosanthes horsfieldii in Java
  5. http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=200022763 Flora of China v 19 p 45, Trichosanthes cucumeroides