Volume 9 > Part 4 > Year 2008 > Page 526 > Cucurbitaceae > Trichosanthes

10. Trichosanthes pilosa Lour.wfo-0000408111

Fl. Cochinch.: 588. 1790; W.J.de Wilde & Duyfjes, Reinwardtia 12: 270. 2008.

Accepted Name : This is currently accepted.

Synonyms & Citations :

Description : Climber 2–7 m long; subperennial; variously short-hairy; plant green on drying; cystoliths not obvious; stem 2–3 mm diam. Probract absent. Tendrils 2- or 3-branched. Leaves: blade unlobed or (deeply) 3–5-lobed, (broadly) ovate or suborbicular in outline, 10–19(–25) by 9–16(–19) cm, hairy below, at least along the (finer) veins, glands absent or few, scattered, ca 0.5 mm diam.; base cordate, with broad or narrow sinus; margin entire or sparsely finely or coarsely dentate or undulate; apex acute-acuminate, short mucronate; petiole 3–7 cm long. Male inflorescences 15–20(–25) cm long, densely or sparsely short-hairy, sometimes co axillary with a long-pedicelled male flower; peduncle 8–17 cm long, 1–2 mm thick; rachis with 5–10 flowers; bracts caducous or persistent, (narrowly) obovate or oblong, 6–20 by 1–5 mm, without glands, margin few-lobed or dentate. Male flowers: pedicel (3–)5–25 mm long (in solitary flower much longer); receptacle-tube 15–45 mm long, at apex 3–5 mm diam.; sepals narrowly triangular, 3–15 mm long, 1–2 mm wide at base, margin entire; petals ovate-oblong or oblong-lanceolate, ca 10 by 4 mm, subglabrous, threads 7–17 mm long; synandrium 3–4 mm long, filaments 1–2 mm long, glabrous. Female flowers resembling male; pedicel ca 10 mm long; ovary ellipsoid-oblong, ca 8 by 2–3 mm, hairy or subglabrous; receptacle-tube to 55 mm long; sepals to 20 mm long. Fruits orange-red, pale flamed, ellipsoid(-oblong), 4–6 by 3–4 cm, apex acute, 3–5 mm beaked; exocarp leathery, smooth; pulp whitish or orange-red; fruiting pedicel 1–2 by 0.2 cm. Seeds (dark) brown, swollen, with broad belt, 6–8 by 5–9 by 3–5 mm.