588 INDIAN MEDICINAL PLANTS. 



An annual, climbing not extensively, sparingly scabrous 

 pilose, tendrils 2-nd. Leaves l-2in. diam., cordate reniform, 

 orbicular, entire or obscurely 5-angular or 5-lobed, or cut almost 

 to the base into 5 narrow sinuate-pinnatifid segments, dentate ; 

 petiole l-2in. Male peduncles normally paired, one L-flowered, 

 the other racemed very long, 6-in. or more, pedicel lin. 

 Flowers small, white, without bracts. Filaments 3, 2 with 

 2-celled anthers. Peduncle of the solitary female very short. 

 Fruit H by fin., ellipsoid densely covered with bristles ; ribs 

 not visible ; spines Jin., ciliate ; stopple without spines, Calyx- 

 teeth persistent. Seeds Jin., many slightly scabrous. 



Uses : — In the Concan, a few grains of the bitter fibrous con- 

 tents of the fruit are given in infusion for snake-bite and in 

 cholera after each stool ; in putrid fevers, the infusion is applied 

 to the whole body, and in jaundice it is applied to the head 

 and also given internally ; the infusion has also a reputation as 

 a remedy for colic (Dymock). 



The fruit is considered in North India as a powerful remedy 

 for dropsy (O'Shaughnessy). The fruit has purgative pro- 

 perties (S. Arjun). 



535. Benicassa cerifera, Savi., h.f.b.i., ii. 616. 



Syn. :— Cucurbita Pepo, Roxb, 700 



Eng : — The white melon. 



Sans. : — Kushmanda, Kush-pandaha. 



Vern-\— Petha, gol-kaddu (Pb.) ; Kumra, chalkumra (B.) ; 

 Gol-kaddu, kudimah, konhda, kumrha, petha, phuthia (H.) ; 

 Kumhra, bhunja (Kumaon) ; Kohala, Dangar, Bhopala (Mar.) ; 

 Kushmand, kohula (Cutch) ; Bhuru-kolu, koholu (Guz.) ; 

 Kohala, koholen, golkadu, Pandri chicki (Bom.) ; Gol-kuddu 

 (Sind.) ; Kaliyana-pushinik-kay (Tarn.) ; Burda-gumudu, budide 

 gummadi, pendli-gummadi-kaya (Tel.) ; Kumpalanna ; Kumpa- 

 lam (Mai.) ; Bude-kumbala-kayi (Kan). 



Habitat : — Cultivated throughout India. 



A large annual climber, softly hairy, tendrils 2-fid. Leaves 

 4-6in. diam., cordate, reniform orbicular, more or less 5-lobed. 



