Citrullus colocynthis (L.) Schard.
| Synonym : | Citrullus colocynthoides Pangalo Citrullus pseudocolocynthis M.Roem. Colocynthis officinalis Schrad |
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| Bangla Name : | Makal,Indrayan. |
| English Name : | Bitter apple,Wild watermelon,Colosynth. |
| Family : | Cucurbitaceae. |
| Disease : | Hydrogogue, cathartic, purgative, ascities, jaundice, uterine problems, amenorrhoea, uterine problems, amenorrhoea, abdominal problems, rheumatism, cough, asthma, breast inflammation, hair tonic, snakebite, dysentery, diarrhoea, epilepsy. |
| Description : | Perennial trailing herbs with somewhat woody tuberous root; stems shortly hairy when young becoming scabrid.. Leaves alternate, elongate-ovate in outline. Male flowers on long pedicels; calyx campanulate; corolla pale yellow, ovate-acute. Female flowers on longer pedicels than male, receptacle-tube short, lobes lanceolate; ovary hairy, subglobose or obovate. Fruits, globose, smooth, longitudinally green striped, eipcarp thin, filled with a dry spongy very bitter pulp; seeds numerous, ovate-oblong, yellowish brown, not margined. |
| Distribution : | The species occurs in the forests of Tangail and Dhaka. |
| Chemical Constituents : | Biller oil ‘citbittol’, colocynthin, colocynthetin. Roots contain aelaterin, hentriacontairi, and saponins. Seeds contain fixed oil, a phytosterolin, 2 phytosterols, 2 hydro-carbons, a saponin, alkaloid, glycoside, tannin. Pulp contains a-elaterin, hentri |
| Uses : | The plant is used in Hydrogogue, cathartic, purgative, ascities, jaundice, uterine problems, amenorrhoea, abdominal problems, rheumatism, cough, asthma, breast inflammation, hair tonic, snakebite, dysentery, diarrhoea, epilepsy. |
| Habit : | Herb |