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Difference between revisions of "Benincasa hispida - Kushmanda, Winter melon"

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[[File:Benincasa hispida compose.jpg|thumb|right|''Winter melon'']]
 
[[File:Benincasa hispida compose.jpg|thumb|right|''Winter melon'']]
  
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It is the only member of the genus Benincasa. The fruit is fuzzy when young. The immature melon has thick white flesh that is sweet when eaten. By maturity, the fruit loses its hairs and develops a waxy coating, giving rise to the name wax gourd, and providing a long shelf life. The melon may grow as large as 80 cm in length. Although the fruit is referred to as a "melon," the fully grown crop is not sweet. Native to South Asia and Southeast Asia, the winter melon is widely grown throughout Asia.<ref name="int2"/>
 
It is the only member of the genus Benincasa. The fruit is fuzzy when young. The immature melon has thick white flesh that is sweet when eaten. By maturity, the fruit loses its hairs and develops a waxy coating, giving rise to the name wax gourd, and providing a long shelf life. The melon may grow as large as 80 cm in length. Although the fruit is referred to as a "melon," the fully grown crop is not sweet. Native to South Asia and Southeast Asia, the winter melon is widely grown throughout Asia.<ref name="int2"/>
  
== Uses ==
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==Uses==
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{{Uses|summer fevers}}, {{Uses|painful wounds}}, {{Uses|vaginal discharges}}, {{Uses|coughs}}, {{Uses|intestinal abscesses}}, {{Uses|excessive thirst}}, {{Uses|epilepsy}}, {{Uses|gonorrhoea}}, {{Uses|nervous diseases}}
 +
 
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==Parts Used==
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{{Parts Used|Flowers}}, {{Parts Used|fruits}}, {{Parts Used|Leaves}}, {{Parts Used|Seeds}}.
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==Chemical Composition==
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Vitamins - A: 0mg; Thiamine (B1): 4mg; Riboflavin (B2): 0.11mg; Niacin: 0.4mg; B6: 0mg; C: 13mg;<ref name="chemical composition"/>
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==Common names==
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{{Common names|kn=Boodagumbala, Boodu gumbala|ml=Kumbalanga|sa=Kushmanda|ta=Neer poosanikai, Pooshnikai|te=|hi=Pethaa|en=Ash gourd, Ash pumpkin}}
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==Habit==
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{{Habit|Annual Climber}}
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==Identification==
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===Leaf===
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{{Leaf|Simple|roundish|White gourd is a vine grown for its very large fruit, eaten as a vegetable}}<ref name="Leaf"/>
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===Flower===
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{{Flower|Unisexual|5-15 cm long|Yellow|5-20|densely hairy, lobes lanceolate, acute, 6-12 mm long. Petals spreading, blunt, but ending in a short point}}
  
*The winter melon requires very warm weather to grow but can be stored for many months much like winter squash. Ash gourds of the Indian subcontinent have a white coating with rough texture. South East Asian varieties have a smooth waxy texture.  
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===Fruit===
*In Vietnamese cuisine, it is called bí đao, which is usually used to make soup or stew. When cooked with pork short ribs, the resulting soup is traditionally thought to help produce more milk for breastfeeding mothers.
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{{Fruit|fuzzy|7–10 mm (0.28–0.4 in.) long pome|the fruit loses its hairs and develops a waxy coating|its very large fruitWith hooked hairs|many}}
*In Indian cuisine the vegetable is traditionally used to prepare a wide variety of dishes. In northern India it is used to prepare a candy called Petha. In South Indian cuisine, it is traditionally used to make a variety of curries, including a liquefied dish with curds or buttermilk.
 
*It is used to produce a fruit drink with a very distinctive taste. It is usually sweetened with caramelized sugar. In Southeast Asia, the drink is widely marketed as winter melon tea or winter melon punch.
 
*The shoots, tendrils, and leaves of the plant may also be eaten as greens.
 
  
==Common name==
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===Other features===
  
* '''English''' - white gourd
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==List of Ayurvedic medicine in which the herb is used==
* '''Kannada''' - ಬೂದ ಕುಂಬಳಕಾಯಿ
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* [[Vishatinduka Taila]] as ''root juice extract''
* '''Hindi''' -  पेठा
 
  
== References ==
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==Where to get the saplings==
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==Mode of Propagation==
<references>
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{{Propagation|Seeds}}, {{Propagation|Cuttings}}.
<ref name="int">[http://www.plantnames.unimelb.edu.au/Sorting/Benincasa.html "Multilingual Multiscript Plant Name Database".]</ref>
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<ref name="int2">[http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=e457]</ref>
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==How to plant/cultivate==
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Benincasa hispida is a plant of the tropics, and is also cultivated in the subtropics.<ref name="How to plant/cultivate"/>
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==Commonly seen growing in areas==
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{{Commonly seen|Tall grasslands}}, {{Commonly seen|meadows}}, {{Commonly seen|Borders of forests and fields}}.
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==Photo Gallery==
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<gallery class="left" caption="" widths="140px" heights="140px">
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File:Odermennig.jpg
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File:Agrimonia eupatoria02.jpg
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Image:Agrimonia eupatoria MHNT.BOT.2004.0.jpg
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</gallery>
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==References==
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 +
<references>  
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<ref name="chemical composition">[https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Benincasa+hispida "plants for future"]</ref>
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<ref name="Leaf">[http://www.flowersofindia.net/catalog/slides/White%20Gourd.html "flowers of india"]</ref>
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<ref name="How to plant/cultivate">[http://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Benincasa+hispida "practical palnts"]</ref>
 
</references>
 
</references>
  
== External Links ==
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==External Links==
 
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* [http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=e457]
*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winter_melon Winter melon]
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* [http://www.planetayurveda.com/library/kushmanda-benincasa-hispida]
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* [http://www.himalayawellness.com/herbfinder/benincasa-hispida.htm]
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* [https://www.britannica.com/plant/wax-gourd]
  
 
[[Category:Herbs]]
 
[[Category:Herbs]]

Revision as of 18:09, 25 April 2018

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Winter melon

The winter melon, also called ash gourd, white gourd, winter gourd, tallow gourd Chinese preserving melon[1] is a vine grown for its very large fruit, eaten as a vegetable when mature.

It is the only member of the genus Benincasa. The fruit is fuzzy when young. The immature melon has thick white flesh that is sweet when eaten. By maturity, the fruit loses its hairs and develops a waxy coating, giving rise to the name wax gourd, and providing a long shelf life. The melon may grow as large as 80 cm in length. Although the fruit is referred to as a "melon," the fully grown crop is not sweet. Native to South Asia and Southeast Asia, the winter melon is widely grown throughout Asia.[2]

Uses

summer fevers, painful wounds, vaginal discharges, coughs, intestinal abscesses, excessive thirst, epilepsy, gonorrhoea, nervous diseases

Parts Used

Flowers, fruits, Leaves, Seeds.

Chemical Composition

Vitamins - A: 0mg; Thiamine (B1): 4mg; Riboflavin (B2): 0.11mg; Niacin: 0.4mg; B6: 0mg; C: 13mg;[3]

Common names

Language Common name
Kannada Boodagumbala, Boodu gumbala
Hindi Pethaa
Malayalam Kumbalanga
Tamil Neer poosanikai, Pooshnikai
Telugu
Marathi NA
Gujarathi NA
Punjabi NA
Kashmiri NA
Sanskrit Kushmanda
English Ash gourd, Ash pumpkin


Habit

Annual Climber

Identification

Leaf

Kind Shape Feature
Simple roundish White gourd is a vine grown for its very large fruit, eaten as a vegetable

[4]

Flower

Type Size Color and composition Stamen More information
Unisexual 5-15 cm long Yellow 5-20 densely hairy, lobes lanceolate, acute, 6-12 mm long. Petals spreading, blunt, but ending in a short point

Fruit

Type Size Mass Appearance Seeds More information
fuzzy 7–10 mm (0.28–0.4 in.) long pome the fruit loses its hairs and develops a waxy coating its very large fruitWith hooked hairs many {{{6}}}

Other features

List of Ayurvedic medicine in which the herb is used

Where to get the saplings

Mode of Propagation

Seeds, Cuttings.

How to plant/cultivate

Benincasa hispida is a plant of the tropics, and is also cultivated in the subtropics.[5]

Commonly seen growing in areas

Tall grasslands, meadows, Borders of forests and fields.

Photo Gallery

References

  1. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named int
  2. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named int2
  3. "plants for future"
  4. "flowers of india"
  5. "practical palnts"

External Links