,r\/*> - National Science Foundation

5. Colocynthis vulgaris Schrad., Ind. Scm. Hort. Gotting. 1833. (Fig. 163).
Cucumis colocynthis Linn.—Citrullus colocynthis Schrad.
CUCURBITACEAE
Engl. Colocynth, Bitter Cucumber; Sinh. Yak-Komadu, Tittakomadu; Tarn.
Peykkumulti, PeyUumatti, Verikkummatti, Verittumatti, Visala; Hindi Ghcrumba, Indrayan,
Makal; Sans. Atmaraksha, Brihadvaruni, Brihatphala, Chitrala, Chitraphala, Chitravalli
Devi, Dirghavalli, Gajachirbhira, Hastidanti, Kapilakshi, Katurasa, Kaya, Kumbhasi,
Mahaphala, Mahendravaruni, Mahendri, Mrigadini, Mrigakshi. Mrigevaru, Ramya, Shevetapushpa,
Soumya, Trapusi, Tunvasi, Urupriya, Vishala.
Annual or perennial, slender, prostrate climber with angular, scabrous or somewhat
hairy stems, tendrils 2-or 3-fid, slender, hairy; leaves simple, alternate, 3.8—8.8 cm long,
variable, usually deltoid in outline, very deeply trifid, the middle lobe the longest, each lobe
deeply pinnatifid with the segments lobed or dentate, margin often involute, nearly glabrous
above, very scabrous with short, swollen, prickly bristles beneath; petioles about half the length
of the leaf, bristly or hairy; flowers regular, unisexual, pale yellow, monoecious, solitary in the
axils of leaves, rather large, peduncle about 1.2 cm long, rough or hairy; sepals 5, fused into
a campanulate calyx-limb, hairy, segments linear-lanceolate; petals 5, united nearly half-way
up to form a cup-shaped corolla, segments oval, subacute; male flower: stamens 3, small,
inserted in the tube of the corolla, filaments short, glabrous, anther distinct, one 1-celled and two
2-celled, cells conduplicate; female flower: ovary inferior, globular-ovoid, fleshy, calyx-tube
fused with ovary, hairy, unilocular with three large, fleshy, parietal placentas, style short stout
with 3 small staminodes round it, stigmas 3, sessile; fruit globular, slightly depressed, 5—8 cm
diameter, dark green, mottled with 10 lines of paler irregular spots, completely filled with white
spongy very bitter pulp; seeds numerous, horizontal, pale brown, immersed in thfc pulp.
Illustrations. Wight, Ic. PI. Ind. Orient, pi. 498, 1840—43; Bentley and Trimen, Medicinal
Plants, pi. 114. 1880; Kirtikar and Basu, Indian Med. Plants, pi. 460. 1933; Herb.
Peradeniya, drawing.
Distribution. Occurs in Arabia,-Syria, Egypt, Western Asia, tropical Africa, Mediterranean
regions, India and Ceylon. In Ceylon, it is rather rare confined to the dry and desert
regions such as Batticaloa, Puttalam, Jaffna and Talaimannar.
India. Punjab, T. Thomson; Pen. Ind. Orient. Herb. Wight 1114, Kew Distribution
1866—8. Ceylon. Thwaites CP. 1607. Northern Prov., Jaffna, Herb. Peradeniya, Feb. 1890;
Talaimannar, J. M. Silva, July 1916.
Composition. The fruit contains an alkaloid. The purgative properties of colocynth
is due to a bitter principle colocynthin, a glucoside. The fruit pulp contains a very small amount
of volatile oil; citrullol, oc—elaterin, hentriacontane and a phytosterol. The fruit juice contains
citrullin, citrulluen, citrullinic acid in addition tocc—elaterin. The seeds yield a fixed oil and
a yellow bitter principle. The root also containsoc—elaterin.
Uses. The fruit and the root are made into a paste and applied on boils and pimples.
A paste of the root is applied on abdominal swellings in children and a decoction of it is given
for cough 'and asthma. A poultice of the root is applied on inflammation of breasts in women.
The root along with other ingredients is used in chronic skin diseases, syphilis, elephantiasis,
leprosy, hemiphlegia, piles, anaemia, colic, ascites, jaundice, rheumatism and various urinary
diseases. The juice of the fruit mixed with sugar is a specific for dropsy. -The fruit and the root
are prescribed in the treatment of snake bites.
The oil extracted from the seed is used in India as a remedy for snake-bites, scorpion
sting, epilepsy add to stimulate the growth and to darken grey hair. In some parts of
Baluchistan the fruit and seeds are used as a purgative.
133