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21. Zanonia indica Linn.. Sp. PI. ed. 2. 1457. 1763. (Fig. 179).
CUCURBITACEAE
Sinh. Wal-rasakinda; Tam. Penarvalli; Hindi Chirpotana. Chirpoti, Patakona,
Shanasokha; Sans. Chtrpota, Dirghapatra, Jvarakarini, Kuntali, Parpoti, Phalamba,
Raktahantri. Tiktaka.
Perennial, semi-woody, scandent, tendril climber with grey, glabrous stems; tendrils
simple, elongate, terete, glabrous; leaves simple, alternate, coriaceous, 7.5—15 cm long,
5—9.5 cm broad, deciduous leaving prominent circular scars, broadly oval to lanceolate,
rounded or cordate at base, somewhat acuminate, apiculate, quite entire, glabrous, rather thick,
venation reticulate rather conspicuous beneath; petioles 2.7—3 cm long; flowers regular,
unisexual, dioecious, greenish yellow, rather small on short pedicels, male flowers in racemes
or panicles 15—30 cm long, branched chiefly at base with flowers in small clusters, pedicels
articulated about the middle, 2—4 mm long, bracteolate at base; sepals 3, valvate, fused into a
calyx, segments rotundate, concave, glabrous; petals 5, connate below to form a rotate corolla,
imbricate, segments ovate, acuminate, obtuse with incurved apices; stamens 5, inserted on central
disc distinct, filaments short, broad, spreading, anther l-cclled, opening transversely; female
flowers in 5—12-flowered racemes 10—30 cm long; sepals broadly triangular, 4 mm long;
petals ovate-oblong, 6—8 mm long; ovary inferior, narrowly turbinate, cylindrical, 1.2 cm
long, glabrous, styles rather long spreading, bifid; fruit capsule 2.5—3.7 cm long, cylindrical,
rounded at base, truncate at apex opening on summit by 3 valves, glabrous, pale yellowish brown;
seeds few, compressed with wing as long as the fruit, very flat, glabrous, yellow, wing rounded
at the ends.
Flowers during June.
Illustrations. Wight. III. pi. 103, 1841—50; Rheede, Hort. Mai. 8: pis. 47—49. 1678—
1703; Kirtikar and Basu. Indian Med Plants, pi. 468. 1933; Herb. Peradeniya, drawing.
Distribution Occurs from Nepal to Burma and from Malabar to Ceylon. It is also
found in Java, Borneo and New Guinea. In Ceylon, it is rather rare, growing in the moist
low-country upto an elevation of 2000 feet.
Ceylon. Central Prov., Gannoruwa, /. M. Siha, Nov. 1910; Kadugannawa, Thwaites
CP. 1628.
Uses. The stems and leaves are used as a febrifuge and are beneficial in asthma and
cough. The fruit possesses cathartic properties. In Malabar, a bath made by boiling the leaves
in water is used to remove nervous irritation caused by (poils.
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