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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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The '''winter melon''' is a vine grown for its very large fruit, eaten as a vegetable when mature. It is the only member of the genus Benincasa. Native to South Asia and Southeast Asia, the winter melon is widely grown throughout Asia.
 +
==Uses==
 +
{{Uses|Summer fevers}}, {{Uses|Painful wounds}}, {{Uses|Vaginal discharges}}, {{Uses|Cough}}, {{Uses|Intestinal abscesses}}, {{Uses|Excess thirst}}, {{Uses|Epilepsy}}, {{Uses|Gonorrhoea}}, {{Uses|Nervous diseases}}
  
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The '''winter melon''', also called '''ash gourd, white gourd, winter gourd, tallow gourd'''  '''Chinese preserving melon'''<ref name="int"/> is a vine grown for its very large fruit, eaten as a vegetable when mature.
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==Parts Used==
 +
{{Parts Used|Flowers}}, {{Parts Used|Fruits}}, {{Parts Used|Leaves}}, {{Parts Used|Seeds}}.
  
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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"/>
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==Chemical Composition==
 +
It contains Vitamins - A: 0mg; Thiamine (B1): 4mg; Riboflavin (B2): 0.11mg; Niacin: 0.4mg; B6: 0mg; C: 13mg. The fruits contain lupeol, beta-sitosterol, their acetates and several amino acids.<ref name="chemical composition"/>
  
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== Uses ==
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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=boarda goomoodoo, boodida gummadi|hi=Pethaa|en=Ash gourd, Ash pumpkin}}
  
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*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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==Properties==
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*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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Reference: Dravya - Substance, Rasa - Taste, Guna - Qualities, Veerya - Potency, Vipaka - Post-digesion effect, Karma - Pharmacological activity, Prabhava - Therepeutics.
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*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.
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===Dravya===
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*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.
 
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*The shoots, tendrils, and leaves of the plant may also be eaten as greens.
 
  
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==Common name==
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===Rasa===
 +
Madhura (Sweet)
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===Guna===
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Laghu (Light), Snigda (Unctuous)
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===Veerya===
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Sheeta (Cold)
 +
===Vipaka===
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Madhura (Sweet)
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===Karma===
 +
Kpha, Pitta
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===Prabhava===
  
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* '''English''' - white gourd
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==Habit==
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* '''Kannada''' - ಬೂದ ಕುಂಬಳಕಾಯಿ
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{{Habit|Annual Climber}}
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* '''Hindi''' -  पेठा
 
  
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== References ==
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==Identification==
−
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===Leaf===
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<references>
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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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<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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===Flower===
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{{Flower|Unisexual|5-15 cm long|Yellow|5-20|Densely hairy, lobes lanceolate, acute, 6-12 mm long}}
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 +
===Fruit===
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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 fruit with hooked hairs|Many}}
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 +
===Other features===
 +
 
 +
==List of Ayurvedic medicine in which the herb is used==
 +
* [[Kushmanda rasayana]]
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* [[Sri gopal taila]]
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<ref name="Ayurvedic preparations"/>
 +
 
 +
==Where to get the saplings==
 +
==Mode of Propagation==
 +
{{Propagation|Seeds}}, {{Propagation|Cuttings}}.
 +
 
 +
==How to plant/cultivate==
 +
Benincasa hispida is a plant of the tropics, and is also cultivated in the subtropics.<ref name="How to plant/cultivate"/>
 +
 
 +
==Season to grow==
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May - June.<ref name="Season to grow"/>
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 +
==Required Ecosystem/Climate==
 +
This annual vine can easily be grown from seed. It is best grown in fertile, organically rich, medium moisture, well-drained loams in full sun.<ref name="Required Ecosystem/Climate"/>
 +
 
 +
==Kind of soil needed==
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Requires a warm sunny position in a rich well-drained soil.
 +
 
 +
==Commonly seen growing in areas==
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{{Commonly seen|Tall grasslands}}, {{Commonly seen|Meadows}}, {{Commonly seen|Borders of forests and fields}}.
 +
 
 +
==Photo Gallery==
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<gallery class="left" caption="" widths="140px" heights="140px">
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83 - CIMG0864.jpg|Fruits
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Benincasa hispida (kumbalam) flower.jpg|Flowers
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Winter Melon Flower.jpg|Bud
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Winter Melon.jpg|Stem
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</gallery>
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==References==
 +
<references>
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<ref name="chemical composition">[http://gbpihedenvis.nic.in/PDFs/Glossary_Medicinal_Plants_Springer.pdf Chemical composition]</ref>
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<ref name="Leaf">[http://www.flowersofindia.net/catalog/slides/White%20Gourd.html Flowers description]</ref>
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<ref name="Ayurvedic preparations">[https://easyayurveda.com/2013/01/31/winter-melon-health-benefits-medicinal-use-side-effects-ayurveda/ Ayurvedic preparations]</ref>
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<ref name="How to plant/cultivate">[http://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Benincasa+hispida Cultivation Details]</ref>
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<ref name="Season to grow">[https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Benincasa+hispida Season to grow]</ref>
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<ref name="Required Ecosystem/Climate">[http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=e457 Required Ecosystem/Climate]</ref>
 
</references>
 
</references>
  
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== External Links ==
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==External Links==
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* [http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=e457 Benincasa hispida on missouribotanicalgarden]
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*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winter_melon Winter melon]
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* [http://www.planetayurveda.com/library/kushmanda-benincasa-hispida Benincasa hispida on planet ayurveda]
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* [http://www.himalayawellness.com/herbfinder/benincasa-hispida.htm Ash Gourd, Wax Gourd, White Gourd, White Pumpkin]
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* [https://www.britannica.com/plant/wax-gourd Benincasa hispida encyclopedea britanicca]
  
 
[[Category:Herbs]]
 
[[Category:Herbs]]
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[[Category:Ayurvedic herbs that don't have seed photos]]
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[[Category:Cucurbitacceae]]

Latest revision as of 12:49, 4 November 2020

Winter melon

The winter melon is a vine grown for its very large fruit, eaten as a vegetable when mature. It is the only member of the genus Benincasa. Native to South Asia and Southeast Asia, the winter melon is widely grown throughout Asia.

Uses

Summer fevers, Painful wounds, Vaginal discharges, Cough, Intestinal abscesses, Excess thirst, Epilepsy, Gonorrhoea, Nervous diseases

Parts Used

Flowers, Fruits, Leaves, Seeds.

Chemical Composition

It contains Vitamins - A: 0mg; Thiamine (B1): 4mg; Riboflavin (B2): 0.11mg; Niacin: 0.4mg; B6: 0mg; C: 13mg. The fruits contain lupeol, beta-sitosterol, their acetates and several amino acids.[1]

Common names

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


Properties

Reference: Dravya - Substance, Rasa - Taste, Guna - Qualities, Veerya - Potency, Vipaka - Post-digesion effect, Karma - Pharmacological activity, Prabhava - Therepeutics.

Dravya

Rasa

Madhura (Sweet)

Guna

Laghu (Light), Snigda (Unctuous)

Veerya

Sheeta (Cold)

Vipaka

Madhura (Sweet)

Karma

Kpha, Pitta

Prabhava

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

[2]

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

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 fruit with hooked hairs Many {{{6}}}

Other features

List of Ayurvedic medicine in which the herb is used

[3]

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.[4]

Season to grow

May - June.[5]

Required Ecosystem/Climate

This annual vine can easily be grown from seed. It is best grown in fertile, organically rich, medium moisture, well-drained loams in full sun.[6]

Kind of soil needed

Requires a warm sunny position in a rich well-drained soil.

Commonly seen growing in areas

Tall grasslands, Meadows, Borders of forests and fields.

Photo Gallery

  • Fruits

  • Flowers

  • Bud

  • Stem

References

  1. ↑ Chemical composition
  2. ↑ Flowers description
  3. ↑ Ayurvedic preparations
  4. ↑ Cultivation Details
  5. ↑ Season to grow
  6. ↑ Required Ecosystem/Climate

External Links

Retrieved from "https://ayurwiki.org/index.php?title=Benincasa_hispida_-_Kushmanda,_Winter_melon&oldid=53476"