Trichosanthes tricuspidata (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Trichosanthes tricuspidata Lour.

Protologue: Fl. cochinch. 2: 588 (1790).

Synonyms

• Trichosanthes tricuspis Miq. (1856).

Vernacular names

• Indonesia: kalayar (Sundanese)
• Thailand: kradueng chang phueak (Prachuap Khitikhan), kheekaa khom (Phangnga), matuum kaa (Nakhon Ratchasima)
• Vietnam: lâu sác.

Distribution

Indo-China, Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, Java, Borneo and the Philippines.

Uses

The fruits are strongly purgative and emetic. In Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo, the leaves are used to poultice boils. In Indonesia, the leaf juice is drunk by children to treat diarrhoea. However, in Borneo leaves and shoots are reported strongly purgative and emetic. The crushed and fermented fruit is eaten as a condiment. Due to confusion with other species, some of these uses may actually refer to T. quinquangulata, T. pubera or even the extra-Malesian species T. bracteata.

Observations

• A dioecious, perennial vine up to 6 m long, stem sharply angular, almost glabrous.
• Leaves broadly ovate in outline, 3(-5)-lobed or rarely entire, 10-12 cm in diameter, base deeply cordate, lobes acute, glabrescent.
• Corolla about 8 cm in diameter; male inflorescence 10-18 cm long, bracts broadly elliptical to broadly elliptical-obovate, about 15 mm × 25 mm, dentate; female flowers solitary.
• Fruit ovoid, red, 6-9 cm long.
• Seeds obovate, compressed.

T. tricuspidata is found in thickets and open places.

Selected sources

• [457] Gagnepain, F., 1921. Cucurbitacées [Cucurbitaceae]. In: Gagnepain, F. (Editor): Flore générale de l'Indo-Chine [General flora of Indo-China]. Vol. 2. Masson & Cie, Paris, France. pp. 1030-1095.
• [580] Heyne, K., 1950. De nuttige planten van Indonesië [The useful plants of Indonesia]. 3rd Edition. 2 volumes. W. van Hoeve, 's-Gravenhage, the Netherlands/Bandung, Indonesia. 1660 + CCXLI pp.
• [721] Keraudren-Aymonin, M., 1975. Cucurbitacées [Cucurbitaceae]. In: Vidal, J.E. & Galibert, Y. (Editors): Flore du Cambodge, du Laos et du Vietnam [Flora of Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam]. Vol. 15. Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France. 123 pp.
• [829] Leaman, D.J., Yusuf, R. & Sangat-Roemantyo, H., 1991. Kenyah Dayak forest medicines. Prospects for development and implications for conservation. Report for the World Wide Fund for Nature, Indonesia Programme. 34 pp. + appendices.
• [1126] Perry, L.M., 1980. Medicinal plants of East and Southeast Asia. Attributed properties and uses. MIT Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States & London, United Kingdom. 620 pp.
• [1263] Rugayah & de Wilde, W.J.J.O., 1997. Trichosanthes L. (Cucurbitaceae) in Java. Blumea 42(2): 471-482.

Main genus page

• Trichosanthes (Medicinal plants)

Authors

• M.S.M. Sosef, E. Boer & N. Bunyapraphatsara