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CUCURBITACEAE
6. Corallocarpus epigaeus C.B. Clarke in Hook, f., Fl. Brit. Ind. 2:628. 1879. (Fig. 164).
Aechmoiuira epigaea Arn.— Bryonia epigaea Roll!. — Bryonia glabra Roxb.—Bryonia sinuata
vVall.
Sinh. Gopalanga: Tarn. Akashagarudan. Gollankovai; Hindi Akasgaddah. Rakasgaddah:
Sans. Katunahi, Patala-garadan.
A perennial, tendril climber with a large, 'turnip-shaped root and succulent, prostrate,
zig-zag, glabrous and glaucous stems; tendrils simple, slender, glabrous: leaves simple,
alternate, rather small. 2.5—3.7 cm long, rotundate. very cordate at base, more or less 3-or
5-lobed with obtuse or acute, irregularly dentate lobes, shortly and roughly pubescent on both
surfaces, rather thick; petioles more than half the length of the leaf, stout, glabrous: flowers
regular, yellowish-green, unisexual, monoecious, male flowers on shortly pedicelled, straight
pedunculate, stiff corymbs, female flowers solitary; sepals 5, fused into a campanulate calyx,
segments very small; petals 5, very slightly connected at the base; male flowers: stamens 3,
inserted at the mouth of the caly.x-tube, filaments very short, anthers distinct, cells straight without
connective: female flowers: ovary inferior, ovoid, 2-locular, style long, stigma large
and 2-lobed; fruit 1.8—2.5 cm long, ovoid with a blunt beak, smooth, scarlet in the middle
with base and beak dark green, dehiscent by a circular line at junction of red and green portions
near the base; seeds about 9 in orange coloured pulp, very slightly.compressed, pale brown,
adpressed pilose.
Flowers from January to March.
Illustrations. Wight, Ic. PI. Ind. Orient, pi. 503. 1840—43; Kirtikar and Basu, Indian
Med. Plants, pi. 4hi •(. 1933: Herb. Peradeniya. drawing.
Distribution. Occurs in India and Ceylon. In Ceylon, it is rather common in the dry
districts such as Mannar, Anuradhapura, Dambulla, etc.
Ceylon. Northern Prov., Mannar Dist., Mantai, Herb. Peradeniya Feb. 1890. North
Central Prov., Anuradhapura. Puliyankulama, Alston 1254, March 1927. Central Prov.,
Dambulla, Thwaites CP. 1622; Uma Oya, Herb. Peradeniya April 1883.
Uses. This herb is prescribed in the later stages of dysentery and for chronic venereal
complaints. It is considered anthelmintic and sometimes used externally in chronic rheumatism.
The root is usually given for syphilitic rheumatism and possesses laxativt properties. It has
a reputation as a snake-bite cure in Decca and Mysore.
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