Coccinia grandis

• Botanical Name : Coccinia grandis (L.) Voigt
• Synonyms : Coccinia indica Wight & Arn., Bryonia grandis L.
• Common Name : Tindora, Ivy Gourd
• Plant Family : Cucurbitaceae
• Plant Form : Climbers
• Occurrence (Sectors) : 1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 10, 15-17, 19-23, 27, 30
• Occurrence (Special Areas) : Gujarat Forestry Research Foundation, Indroda Park, Van Chetana Kendra, Basan

About Coccinia grandis Plant :

• Habit : A perennial, dioecious, tuberous rooted, climber with simple tendrils.
• Leaves : Palmately 5-lobed, base cordate.
• Inflorescence : Solitary axillary.
• Flowers :
  • Ebracteate, pedicellate, incomplete, regular, unisexual, pentmerous.
  • Calyx made up of 5 fused sepals, valvate aestivation.
  • Corolla made up of 5 fused petals, campanulate with valvate aestivation.
  • Male flowers - Stamens 5, arranged in three groups, monothecous and extrorse.
  • Gynoecium is absent.
  • Female flowers - Androecium is absent.
  • Gynoecium is tricarpellary, syncarpous, ovary inferior, unilocular, parietal placentation, style short, stigma 3, forked and feathery.
• Fruits : Pepo ovoid, elongate, scarlet when ripe.
• Flowering and Fruiting Time : July - September
• Significance :
  • Common on hedges everywhere.
  • Wild variety is bitter but cultivated variety is sweet and fruits edible as vegetables.
  • The juice of young fruits and roots are used in diabetes.