Gen info
- Trichosanthes, the snake gourd genus, is the largest genus in the Cucurbitaceae family, with over 90 species. At present, no full taxonomic treatment of the genus exists, although recent years have seen regional revisions for most of its distribution. (2)
- Trichosanthes scabra is a species of flowering plants within the family Cucurbitaceae.

Botany
• Climbing or creeping herb, rooting at the nodes, to 5 m long, stem (densely) gray or brownish hairy. Probract lanceolate, acute, unlobed or (deeply) 2- or 3-lobed, (1–)1.5–2.5 cm long, sometimes absent, green-yellow, late-caducous. Tendrils unbranched or unequally 2 branched near the base. Leaves: blade circular, or reniform, or broadly ovate in outline, or 5 angular, 2–11 cm diam., subglabrous above, densely coarse-pubescent below, at least on the veins, when fresh bullate above, cystoliths in older leaves present, base deeply cordate, margin entire, finely dentate-mucronate or ± coarsely lobulate or wavy-dentate, apex rounded or subacute, 5 palmately veined, reticulation distinct below; petiole 1–5 cm long. Male inflorescences: flowers solitary or in bracteate racemes; bracts 1–2 cm long, lobed, base cuneate, sessile. Male flowers densely grey (or brown) pubescent; pedicel 2–12 cm long for solitary flowers, 1(–2) cm long in the racemes, persistent, at apex faintly articulate; receptacle-tube (strongly) narrowed below insertion of stamens, 15–20(–30) by 6–7 (at throat) mm, outside and inside pubescent, throat inside yellow; sepals narrowly triangular, lanceolate, entire or lobed, recurved, (4–)5–8 mm long, green; petals obovate, ± clawed, ca 2 by 1.5 cm, distinctly veined; stamens inserted ca 10 mm below throat; filaments 2–2.5 mm long, ± glabrous, synandrium 8–12 by 2–2.5 mm, connectives not enlarged, apex of synandrium flat, narrow, hairy, bright yellow when fresh; disc consisting of 3 short linear bodies. Female flowers solitary, resembling male flowers; pedicel 1–3 cm long; ovary ellipsoid, 8–10 by 6–7 mm, long-pubescent; receptacle tube cylindrical, ca 10 by 5 mm; style 7–10 mm long; stigmas erect, ca 2 mm long, included; disc at base of the tube, very low and minute (nectariferous?) or absent. Fruits short ellipsoid or globose, (2–)3–4 cm long, (orange-)red, at first sparsely hairy, later on glabrous; fruiting pedicel 1–3(–5) cm long. Seeds (elliptic) oblong, 6–9 by 2.5–3 by 1.5–2 mm, faces small, almost smooth, demarcated by groove from broad, rounded margin.
(eFlora of Thailand)

• Plants annual. Stem and branches slender, villous. Petiole 1.5-3 cm, densely villous; leaf blade reniform or ovate-cordate, 6-8 × 6-8 cm, papery, undivided or undulate 3-5-lobed; lobes triangular, both surfaces scabrous, setose and villous, base cordate, margin serrate, apex obtuse. Plants monoecious. Male flowers solitary, or in a raceme; peduncle 4-6 cm, densely villous; bracts leaflike, divided, densely yellow-brown villous; calyx tube 1.5-2 cm; segments lanceolate, ca. 8 mm; corolla segments obovate, 18-20 × 10-12 mm; filaments ca. 0.4 mm. Female flowers solitary; pedicels 10-15 mm, densely villous; calyx and corolla as in male flowers; ovary ovoid-globose, ca. 10 mm, villous. Fruit orange-red when mature, subglobose, 2-3 cm in diam., smooth, not ribbed. Seeds narrowly oblong, ca. 9 × 3-3.5 mm, ca. 1.5 mm thick, both surfaces smooth, both ends obtuse. (Flota of China)

• Gymnopetalum scabrum: Climbing or creeping herbs to 5 m long, stem (densely) long grey or brownish hairy. Leaves: Fruit short ellipsoid or globose, (2-)3-4 cm long, finely (sparsely) hairy, glabrescent, not ribbed; Seeds narrowly elliptic, 6-9 by 2.5-3 by 1.5-2 mm, faces small, almost smooth, demarcated by groove from broad, rounded margin. (Flora Malesiana)

Distribution
- Native to the Philippines.
- Also native to Assam, Cambodia, China South-Central, China Southeast, East Himalaya, Hainan, India, Jawa, Laos, Lesser Sunda Is., Malaya, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Sulawesi, Sumatera, Thailand, Vietnam. (1)

Constituents
- Major constituents of the plant genus are steroids, triterpenoids, and flavonoids.

Parts used
Leaves, whole plant.

Uses
Edibility
- A popular vegetable in South and Southeast Asian cuisine.
- Fruit is edible, although unpopular being bitter.
Folkloric
- No info found on folkloric medicinal use in the Philippines, (2)
- In traditional Chinese medicine used for treatment of fever, headache, and skin ailments.
- In Thailand, used by traditional healers for prevention of cancer.
- In Sri Lanka, leaves used for treatment of tumors.

Studies
• No studies found.

Availability
- Wild-crafted.
- Seeds in the cybermarket.

Additional Sources and Suggested Readings
(1)
Trichosanthes scabra / KEW: Plants of the World Online
(2)
Synopsis of Trichosanthes (Cucurbitaceae) based on recent molecular phylogenetic data / Hugo J de Boer, Mats Thulin / PhytoKeys, 2012; 12: pp 23-33 / DOI: 10.3897/phytokeys.12.2952
(3)
Thai traditional medicine as a source for cancer prevention: from local concepts to the discovery of potential chemopreventive extracts / Natchagorn Lumlerdkij / Thesis, 2017 / UCI
(4)
Exploring Traditional Approaches to Tumor Management: Insights from Ayurveda and Sri Lankan Traditional Medicine / I R N A Illagolla, W A D K Tharundi, H P I J Kaldera / Journal of Intangible Cultural Heritage, 2024; 3(1) / ISSN: 2820-2260

DOI: It is not uncommon for links on studies/sources to change. Copying and pasting the information on the search window or using the DOI (if available) will often redirect to the new link page. (Citing and Using a (DOI) Digital Object Identifier)