Plant Name Coccinia grandis
Common name:
Marathi: Tondli
Hindi: Kunduru
English: Ivy Gourd
Jawhar:
Interesting facts and history
Ivy gourd is native to East Africa and has been spread in different parts of tropical Asia, America and Pacific, but it has become offensive only in Hawaiian and Mariana Islands of the Pacific. Very small populations are distributed throughout western Australia, the northern territory and the northern coastal parts of Queensland.
Identification guide
General
The plants are deciduous in nature, growing as long as 30m.They are climbers with long tendrils, tuberous rootstock and their broad leaves are arranged in alternate fashion. They bear flowers that shaped like stars which transform into fruits.
Stems
glabrous, tendrils simple, axillary
Leaves
Leaf Arrangement: Alternate distichous, Leaf Type: Simple, Leaf Shape:5-angled or lobed, Leaf Apex:Obtuse-mucronate, Leaf Base:subrotund-cordate, Leaf Margin:Lobed
Flowers
Solitary or subcymes; white. Flowering from December-March.
Fruits
An ovoid-oblong berry, green with white patches when young, later reddish; seeds many, oblong-ovoid, compressed. Fruiting throughout the year.
Habit / Habitat
This plant is a perennial climber with single tendrils and glabrous leaves. The leaves have 5 lobes and are 6.5–8.5 cm long and 7–8 cm wide. Female and male flowers emerge at the axils on the petiole, and have 3 stamens.
Occurrence
They are widely grown in all tropical regions as that kind of climate enhances it growth. India and Pakistan have massive plantations of this vegetable apart from Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. It covers vast tracts of plains in Africa, continuing up to Asia. They are distributed in Hawaii, Australia, Fiji, Vanuatu, Guam, Tonga, Samoa and Marshall Islands as well.
Edible parts
World wide use: Leaves and fruits of this plant are eaten as vegetables.
Used by tribal community in Jawhar: Fruits
Method of consumption
Jawhar tribal: Fruits boiled and cooked
Other Recipe
A variety of recipes from all over the world list rashmato, the fruit, as the main ingredient. They are best when cooked, and are often compared to bitter melon. The fruit is commonly eaten in Indian cuisine. People of Indonesia and other Southeast Asian countries also consume the fruit and leaves. In Thai cuisine, it is one of the ingredients of the very popular clear soup dish kaeng jued tum lueng and some curries kaeng khae curry and kaeng lieng curry. Cultivation of rashmati{what is this?} in home gardens has been encouraged in Thailand due to it being a good source of several micronutrients, including vitamins A and C
Medicinal use
The leaves are highly effective in treating diabetes and keeping the sugars in check.
It is an excellent cure for an array of skin infections like leprosy, psoriasis and scabies.
They have also been used for treating tongue sores, diarrhea and jaundice. Flowers are mainly useful in healing jaundice.
Roots of this plant have been used in Chinese medicine as they have a number of medicinal properties.
A tonic made out of the leaves is a noted Thai medicine for treating patients.
Their essence has been blended into a number of medicinal formulations that are available as tablets and tinctures.
Some other ailments like respiratory mucosae and bronchial inflammations can also be healed by it.
Leaves, fruits and stems have the power to stabilize high blood pressure.
Nutritional and medicinal information
Apart from their delightful taste Ivy gourd is a good source of nutrients, vitamins and mineral. Consuming 100 gram of ivy gourd supplies, 1.4mg of Iron, 0/08mg of Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin), 0.07 mg of Vitamin B1(Thiamine), 1.6g of Total dietary fiber and 40 mg of Calcium.
Harvesting and preserving
These plants can be grown under these conditions.
Soil: Soil rich in humus is best for growing Ivy Gourd but it may also grow in other types of soil. It is better grown in well drained soils.
Sun: It grows in full as well as partial sunlight.
Watering: During its growing stage, it requires sufficient water for steady growth.
Greenhouse: In certain places like Britain it needs greenhouse protection as it is not a tough plant. In such conditions, in every pot you may sow 2 to 3 seeds. Bring them outdoors once the last spell of frost is over.
Seed germination: Germination happens in 3 to 4 weeks. Ivy Gourds can be grown from seeds as well as by vegetation. Growing them from seeds is a long tedious process because maturation of seeds takes place late.
Propagation and Storage
Seed - sow March in a warm greenhouse in pots of fairly rich soil placing 2 - 3 seeds in each pot. The seed usually germinates within 2 - 4 weeks at 20°c. Thin to the best seedling in each pot and grow them on fast, giving occasional liquid feeds. Plant out after the last expected frosts and give the plants some protection such as a cloche until they are growing away well.
Practical Plants is currently lacking information on propagation instructions of Coccinia grandis. Help us fill in the blanks! Edit this page to add your knowledge."
Other uses
The plant has long been used as an important ingredient of traditional medicine including Thai and ayurvedic systems.
Classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Sermatophyta
Sub-division: Angiospermae
Class: Dioctyledonae
Sub-Class: Polypetalae
Series: Calyciflorae
Order: Passiflorales
Family: Cucubitaceae
Genus : Coccinia
Species : grandis
References
http://www.flowersofindia.net/catalog/slides/Ivy%20Gourd.html
https://www.healthbenefitstimes.com/ivy-gourd/
http://cnas-re.uog.edu/guam-weeds/coccinia-grandis/
http://eol.org/pages/584421/details
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coccinia_grandis
http://www.onlyfoods.net/ivy-gourd-coccinia-grandis.html