Citrullus colocynthis

Common Name :Bitter apple, desert gourd, colocynth, wild gourd Botanical name :Citrullus colocynthis Family : Cucurbitaceae

Kingdom - Plantae

Order - Cucurbitales

Genus - Citrullus

Species - colocynthis

Synonym - Cucumis colocynthis, citrullus colocynthis ( l .) schrad

Category - Desert vine, prostrate creeper

Origin / Native - Asia, Mediteranean region, Tropical Africa

Distribution - India, Europe, Pakistan

Type - Annual, perennial

Uses - Medicinal plant

Flowers - Small, green or yellow color petals with yellow centric, 5 petals

Foliage - Grayish green, rough, hairy, wavy, triangular cordate, 3-7 lobed, 9.5 cm wide, alternately arranged leaves

Stems - Hard, angular, hairy, spreading with large roots

Fruits - Green, yellow color, globose, 3.9 inches, brown seeds

Sanskrit - Indravaruni plant

Light Requirement & Care - Full sun, normal, poor soils, average water, low maintenance

Propagation - Seeds

Hindi - Ghorumba, badi indrayan

Tamil - Pey komatti

Citrullus colocynthis foliage[leaf]

Citrullus colocynthis plant

Citrullus colocynthis green fruit

Citrullus colocynthis fruit[matured fruit]

Citrullus colocynthis green with yellow variegated fruit

Photographs: Sridher Camera: Nikon D40x Location : Cauvery[Kaveri] river, Srirangam, Trichy, Tamil Nadu, South India