578 INDIAN MEDICINAL PLANTS. 



petiole about 2in., stout, curved with 2 short, setaceous stipules 

 at base. Flowers rather large on short articulated pedicels in 

 two opposite cymes of three, on a long axillary peduncle which 

 is continued beyond them as a long simple tendril. . Calyx 

 fin., truncate at fleshy base, broadly and squarely campanulate, 

 glabrous, segments triangular, acute, slightly spreading ; petals 

 small, distant, linear, inserted at base of Calyx-tube, rather 

 larger in male flower, more or less hairy ; disk wide, with 5 

 circular pits opposite segments with white cilia (Corona) on 

 their outerside, and a short blunt, erect process within each. 

 Male flowers : — stamens distinct, filaments very short, anthers 

 linear, ovary rudimentary. Female flowers : — staminodes 5, 

 erect, immediately surrounding ovary, small, acute. Ovary 

 shortly stalked, globose, smooth, tapering into 3 long styles ; 

 stigmas much divided ; feathery. Fruit nearly 2in. on a stout 

 stalk, globose, apiculate, smooth, orange, splitting into 3 fleshy 

 valves. Seeds on long stalks, nearly iin., mariculate and pitted, 

 black, each enclosed in large pulpy aril. 



Flowers greenish-white, tinged with pink. 



Use : — The root is said to be poisonous, and is used by the 

 Cinghalese as a medicine (Thwaites). 



N. 0. CUCURBITACE^]. 



524. Trichosanihes palmata, Roxb., h.f.b.l, 

 ii. 606 ; Roxb. 695. 



Sans. : — Mahakala. 



Vefn. : — Lal-indrayan (H.) ; Makal (B.) ; Kaundal (Bomb.) ; 

 Koratti, Shavari-pazham (Tain.) ; Avvaguda-pandu (Tel.) ; 

 Avagude-hannu (Kan.). 



Habitat : — Throughout the Eastern Tropics, from the Hima- 

 laya to Ceylon and Singapore. 



Perennial herbs ; stems long, woody below, wide climbing, 

 often 30ft., angular or irregularly rounded, slightly scabrous, 

 sometimes twisting spirally to a marked degree. Dioecious. 



