Trichosanthes cucumeroides




Family Cucurbitaceae
Subfamily Cucurbitoideae
Tribe Trichosantheae
Subtribe Trichosanthinae
Scientific name Trichosanthes cucumeroides (Seringe) Maximowicz
Synonyms Bryonia cucumeroides Seringe; Trichosanthes cavalerei Léveillé; Trichosanthes chinesis Seringe; Trichosanthes cucumeroides (Seringe) Maximowicz var. formosana (Hayata) Kitamura; Trichosanthes cucumeroides (Seringe) Maximowicz var. globosa Honda; Trichosanthes cucumeroides (Seringe) Maximowicz var. stenocarpa Honda; Trichosanthes formosana Hayata
Common name (Japanese common name) karasu uri (カラスウリ, 烏瓜 [meaning: crow melon])
(English common name) Japanese snake gourd
Distribution (Japan) Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu
(Other nations) China, Taiwan, India
Habitat Forest edge, roadside, bush
Chromosomal number 2n=44
Description Leaves 6-10cm wide. Flowers white, flowering in August to September. Fruits red 5-7cm long. Vine. Perennial plants.
Reference Trichosanthes cucumeroides (Ser.) Maxim.
Trichosanthes ovigera Blume
Anti-HIV protein, TAP 29, from tricosanthes, DNA coding therefor and therapeutic uses thereof (US Patent 5532214/1996)
Novel cytotoxic protein (European Patent Application EP0286441)
Cosmetic composition containing polyorganosiloxane-containing epsilon-polylysine polymer, and polyhydric alcohol, and production thereof (European Patent EP1604647/2008)
Oil droplet-in-water type emulsion composition (Japanese Patent JP62087241/1987)
Bleaching cosmetic (Japanese Patent JP2005112793)
Note Trichosanthes ovigera Blume (syn. Trichosanthes chingiana Handel-Mazzetti; Trichosanthes himalensis C. B. Clarke; Trichosanthes himalensis C. B. Clarke var. indivisa Chakravarty; Trichosanthes himalensis C. B. Clarke var. sikkimensis (Kundu) Thothathri; Trichosanthes ovigera Blume var. sikkimensis Kundu; Trichosanthes rostrata Kitamura) is not a synonym of Trichosanthes cucumeroides (Seringe) Maximowicz. Trichosanthes ovigera Blume can be found in Okinawa of Japan and also in tropical Asia.




August 2007
at Koishikawa Botanical Garden



male plants


August 2007
at Koishikawa Botanical Garden
August 2007
at lowland forest edge
August 2007
at lowland forest edge


August 2005
at lowland forest edge
August 2005
at lowland forest edge


female plants


August 2007
at Koishikawa Botanical Garden


October 2007
at lowland forest edge
October 2007
at lowland forest edge
October 2007
at lowland forest edge


October 2007
at Koishikawa Botanical Garden