OCUCURBITACE ZA. Gk 
CUCUMIS TRIGONUS, out. 
Fig.—Wight Iil., t. 105; Ic., t. 497; Rheede, Hort, Mal 
viii. 11. Var. pubescens, Royle Til, £. 47; Wight Te., t. 496. 
Hab.—India. The fruit. 
Vernacuier.—Bislambhi (Hind.), Kattut-tumatti (Tam.), 
_Adavi-puchcha (Tel.), Katvel, Karit (Mar.), Hal-mekki (Can. i 
Var. pubescens, Takmaki ( Mar.). 
History, Uses, &c.—This plant occurs in two very 
distinct forms, the wild bitter form has smooth fruits about the 
size and shape of a small egg, marked with green and yellow 
treaks like colocynth. The pubescent or semi-cultivated form 
as velvety fruits which are quite sweet when ripe, and are 
ten as a vegetable when green. The wild fruits are never 
aten, but are used sometimes medicinally in the same way 
as Citrullus amarus, The seecs are considered very cooling, — 
d are beaten into a paste with the juice of Cynodon dactylon 
Durya) and applied to herpetic eruptions, 
_ The bitter gourd, is like colocynth, called Vish4lé in Sanskrit, — 
ind is brought for sale in the Concan at the feast of the Divali 
new year of the Hindus, as there is a custom at that season of 
bly some be 
Deaced in these three sr on and on that account the 
eation gal attributed to them. But thei 
m to be this. It i is Pa: the same as that which 
ice bof eating Nimba 
. These leaves are bitte a 
by eating them, therefore, « 
evious year, and fits onese 
it Fonat Pitter, 
one h eat a 
vdieo 
