,r\/*> - National Science Foundation

14. Melothria heterophylla Cogn. in DC. Mon. Phan. 3: 618. 1881. (Fig. 172).
CUCURBITACEAE
Sotena heterophylla Lour.—Zehneria hastata Miq.—Zehneria umbellata Thw.—Zehneria connivens
Miq.—Karivia umbellata Arn.—Karivia rheedii Roem.—Momordica umbellata Roxb.—Bryonia
umbellata Klein.—Bryonia amplexicaulis Lamk.—Bryonia sagittata Blume.—Bryonia rheedii
Bl.—Harlandia bryonioides Hance.
Sinh. Kawudu-kekiri; Tarn. Peyppudal; Hindi Amantmul; Sans. Karivivalli.
Perennial,, tendril climber with very long, slender, glabrous stems, root with pendulous
tubers, tendrils very long and young parts puberulous; leaves simple, alternate, very variable,
7. 5—10 cm long, usually triangular ovate with a cordato—hastate base, lobes often overlapping
but sometimes prolonged into oblong or even linear divaricate lobes, acute, distantly denticulate,
slightly rough with scales, bright green above, smooth and glaucous beneath, scabrous on margin;
petioles 11.2 cm long, cylindrical, twisted; flowers regular, yellowish white, unisexual,
dioecious, males on slender pedicels, numerous, crowded in a close, umbellate, pedunculate
corymb much shorter than the leaves, females solitary; sepals 5, fused into a campanulate calyx
limb, segments minute; petals 5, very slightly connate at base, very short, triangular; male
flowers: stamens 3, inserted low down in the calyx, anthers small,distinct, cells slightly curved;
female flowers: ovary inferior, calyx-tube constricted above the ovary into a narrow neck,
glabrous, 10-ribbed with 3 placentas, style stout, surrounded at base by a lobed disc and three
erect staminodes, stigmas very large; fruit about 3.7 cm long, oblong-ovoid, cylindrical, tapering
to a point but not beaked, smooth and red in colour; seeds ovoid, scarcely compressed, smooth
and white.
Flowers from June to July.
Illustrations. Rhcede, Hort. Ind. Mai, 8: pi. 26. 1678—1703; Kirtikar and Basu, Indian
Med. Plants, pi. 466 B. 1933.
Distribution. Occurs in tropical Asia, India, Ceylon, China, Java, etc. In Ceylon, it is
very common in the moist low-country.
India. Nepal: Wallich 67057*. 1821; Wallich 6705Z.. Sikkim: J. D. Hooker. Khasia:
J. D. Hooker and T. Thomson. Simla: T Thomson; Bengal: Kurz. Pen. Ind. Or., Herb. Wight
1129, Kew Distribution 1866—7. Ceylon. Thwaites CP. 1619. Western Prov.,Katunayake,^/j/o/t
2395, Aug. 1928. Uva Prov., Herb. Peradeniya, Jan. 1888; Ella Pass, Herb. Peradeniya, Sept.
1890; Moneragala, Alston, March 1928.
Uses. The juice of the root along with other ingredients is given as a remedy for spermatorrhoea.
In Indo-china, the seeds are used as a purgative.
151