bitter apple, bitter cucumber, egusi, or vine of Sodom, Colocynth, ‘Kadu Vrundavan’ ‘कडू वृंदावन’ in Marathi, Sanskrit– *Indravaaruni  इंद्रवारूणी / Indra  इंद्रा / Indravaaru इंद्रवारू / Gavaakshi गवाक्षी *Hindi– *Indrayan इंद्रायण *Bengali– *Raakhaalashasa राखालशसा *Punjabi– *KaudTumbha कौडतुम्‍भा *Gujarati– *Indrayana इंद्रायणा *Tamil– *Petikari पेतिकारी *Telgu– *Paaparbudam पापरबुडम् *Arabi– *Hanjal हंजल;
 
Trailing perennial herb with more or less scabrid parts; leaves deeply palmately lobed, the lobes subsequently pinnately cleft; flowers pale yellow about 5 mm across; ovary hairy; fruit globose, 5-6 cm across, with irregular white and green stripes or patches. 
 
We use its fruits for eliminating Vata dosha from our body;  

 

/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/water%20melon%20like%20sep%2015.jpg

/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/water%20melon%20like%201%20sep%2015.jpg
efloraindia: 160911 BRS 23: Pl. find the attached photos for id.
Date/Time-Location-14.09.2011 time: 5 Pm
Place, Altitude, GPS- Codisia Road, Coimbatore, Near Air Port
Habitat-  Urban
Habit-  Climber
Fruits Type/ Shape: miniature of water melon Size  3-4 cm.


This is a sister plant to watermelon. Citrullus colocynthis, called as Peikumatti in Tamil. 

i also think its Citrullus colocynthis. very much abundant in my home town i.e Sirsa in Western Haryana. used in medicines for joint pains…. 


common name in haryana is  bislumba and also gadtumba


 

 

Cucurbitaceae week: Citrullus colocynthis from Chennai: Cucurbitaceae week: Citrullus colocynthis – from Chennai
Tamil – KumattiHarmful fruit
http://www.flowersofindia.net/catalog/slides/Bitter%20Apple.html
(Sold near temple markets, appearance -water melon)
Size: small fruit, 5-6cms,
30 jun 2010, Chennai


Thanks …. Harmful fruit but in Homeopathy it is excellent remedy for crampy pain in stomach. In Ayurveda, we use Helicteres isora for such pain.


Thanks to share such important species. 
In kachchh district of Gujrat is also found in the wild and it is categorized as the species of conservation significance.
Can i know about its status in the national and world flora ??
Please help me by providing certain information about its autecology.

 

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-ajsZw9s5EHY/T3qSYu3BPVI/AAAAAAAAAnQ/qFKn_tI70Cg/s1600/Citrullus-colocynthus-Gurgaon-1.jpg
Citrullus colocynthis (Linn.) Schrad. in Linnaea. 12:414. 1838 syn: Cucumis colocynthis Linn. 
Common names: Colocynth, bitter apple
Sanskrit: Mahendravaruni
Urdu, Hindi Beng:: Tumba, Indryan
Guj: Indrak
Tam: Peykkumutti
Trailing perennial herb with more or less scabrid parts; leaves deeply palmately lobed, the lobes subsequently pinnately cleft; flowers pale yellow about 5 mm across; ovary hairy; fruit globose, 5-6 cm across, with irregular white and green stripes or patches.


I have only seen the fruits on some occasions as the species is not found our area. We sometimes have this as a special thing, from Hissar or Sirsa districts as this is said to be antidiabetic..nice to see the flowers..


Is the soil of your area highly saline?


There are few patches in our area which have highly saline soil, much of which has been taken care of, thanks to Central Soil Salinity Research Institute (CSSRI), situated near city of Karnal, Haryana. Now we have very productive soils and mainly wheat-rice rotation is followed, we do not have much agro-biodiversity…


Yes … is right This is a common wild cucurbit in Jind Hisar and Sirsa district of Haryana. We use its fruits for eliminating Vata dosha from our body


 

/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/DSCN0521.JPG

/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/DSCN0520.JPG

 

Plant for ID: 110912:SS1: Cucurbitaceae plant from southern coastal Tamil Nadu:

Please help me to identify this plant.
The pictures were sent to me by a friend. Pictures were taken from the coast of Tinnevely district.
Local people call it ‘Peyankai’ in Tamil.


Its Citrullus colocynthis of Cucurbitaceae family….commanly called as Indrayani.


 

Saptur flora 150913 TBN 1 Cucurbitaceae for id :  Attachments (3). 4 posts by 2 authors.
Please identify this plant details of which are as follows:
Date : 09.06.13                                                            
Location :Saptur, Near Usilampatti, Madurai dt, Tamilnadu
Altitude :less than 500 ft
Habitat :dry land mango grove
Habit :prostrate climber
Height :-
Leaves :?pinnatifid
Flowers :not seen
Fruits :round smaller than fist, 


Please mention the size of ripe fruit.


read it now less than fist size. C. colocynthis


I am sorry, I had not taken measurements. I think it was smaller than a tennis ball but larger than a table tennis ball. Hope to take measurements when I see it next.


 

/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/tiru%20creeper%20habit.JPG

 

/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/tiru%20creeper%20fruit%20and%20leaves%202.JPG
/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/tiru%20creeper%20fruit%20and%20leaves.JPG
/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/tiru%20creeper%20flower.JPG

/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/tiru%20creeper%20flower%202.JPG
Creeper for ID Tiruvannamalei, Tamil Nadu NAW-OCT-10 : 4 posts by 4 authors. Attachments (5). 
Kindly identify this large creeper spreading over an area of more than 6 metres squared, photographed at the mud dam wall of the Samuthram Lake at Tiruvannamalei, Tamil Nadu in September 2014.

The ball shaped fruits are about 4-6 cm in diameter.


Citrullus colocynthis


these seeds have good nutritional values…
wiki has a lot a info
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citrullus_colocynthis


Citrullus colocynthis


 

ANSEPT14/14 Cucurbitaceae for identification : 3 posts by 2 authors. Attachments (8) 
Family: Cucurbitaceae
Date: June 2015
Place: Bangalore, Karnataka

Habit: Climber
Habitat: Scrub forest (disturbed area)


Citrullus colocynthis.


 

/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/IMG_8333.JPG

/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/DSCN5662.JPG
Citrullus colocynthis ?? at Rajasthan : 2 posts by 2 authors. Attachments (3)
This climber was spotted at Sand dunes near Jaisalmer, Rajasthan.
Fruit was approx. 5sm in dia..
Could this be Citrullus colocynthis??
Family: Cucurbitaceae
Locals were reffreing it as Kadawi Kakadi..
Kindly validate the ID..


Yes, …, Close to images at Citrullus colocynthis (L.) Schrad.

/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/CYMERA_20130909_074146.jpg
SK926 02 JAN-2018 : 8 posts by 2 authors. Attachments (1)
Location: Kathmandu, Nepal 
Date: 9 September 2013
Altitude: 4400 ft.
Sorry one one image !


Pl. check 

Was it wild ? Pl. check Citrullus colocynthis (L.) Schrad.

Seems matching !

Nepali Names : इन्द्रबाहणी Indrabaahani/  इन्द्राणी Indraani/ इन्द्रेणी   

Indreni 


 

/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/dYktd_z9fU2Uwoa-c6nOVW5SjcgU4yMJduqLqUKP6lDelk9Ncpm7RPNczKTjyhDPgBHKHWohZhvHUeded3-8UIr2SzK41dPeXjR3iKyhwx0bwGU-w5000-h5000.jpg
/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/QVXrbtYQFx1nk4bM5evUPLuEW2DzioGuP3S166ygw0r0RyARb8v9a5jyFod7llDKPDnRhaPwm8CfxhqFfsGqpib1oRgXj1Kpb7_x0VoJXmO95XQ-w5000-h5000.jpg
/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/3yuG97nWpNw7hPwMXW-tvlhDKzbqSqQjhTNNS50l98bZi829pziPNiLhjKquyRCXPeRkVLLQhMaoRllHTigocb76BIrj-AccppDNVrniiQg6osY-w5000-h5000.jpg
Sam sand dunes  … the Thar desert, Jaisalmer

Date: October 26, 2018 … Altitude: about 225 m (740 feet) asl
¿ Citrullus colocynthis ?   

Yes. The id seems correct to me.


Correct ID … Nice images.
Re: Cucumis : 2 posts by 2 authors. Attachments (4)
Mettur Salem Tamilnadu
Kindly identify

Citrullus colocynthis


References: