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‘Chuchchey Karela’, Caigua, caygua, caihua, cayua, achocha, achokcha, slipper gourd, lady’s slipper, sparrow gourd, stuffing cucumber;
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It is not at all bitter or sweet, but makes quite a tasty vegetable (fruits and even tender leaves);
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Climber For ID from Mussoorie:
This climber was found in Mussoorie, near a famous park (I’m sorry for forgetting the name) in the month of August 2010.


– It was Company Bagh/Municipal Garden i Think


– The above plant is not Momordica charantia.

It is rather Cyclanthera pedata often sold in Indian markets (especially Sikkim, Manali, etc.) under the name Karela (once uploaded by … under the name Meetha Karela. I had uploaded this from Manali (digitately lobed leaves and smaller white flowers are characteristic): efi thread
    May be confused but distinct from the real Meetha Karela Momordica dioica.
Momordica has much larger usually yellow flowers.
efi thread

– Yes it is Cyclanthera pedata. We call it ‘Chhuchey Karela‘ due to the fruit having a pointed curved tip (Chhuchey in Nepali) in Sikkim.
It is not at all bitter or sweet, but makes quite a tasty vegetable (fruits and even tender leaves)


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Cyclanthera pedata (L.) Schrad., Index Seminum (GOET) 1831: 2 1831
Herbaceous climber, often grown as vegetable in Hill stations in India common in Manali and Sikkim
Common English names: Wild cucumber
Locally in Indian hill stations as Karela or even meetha karela (the name meetha karela actually belongs to Momordica dioica). The pedate leaves and smaller white flowers are distinctive, although young fruits carry spines like Momordica dioica.



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Cyclanthera pedata, A child wants to escape but the parents won’t let go:
I hope this year i get more “Karelas“.


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Cucurbitaceae week: Cyclanthera pedata from Chakrata:


What a detailed catch…Thanks a lot for sharing sir!


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Cucurbitaceae Week: Cyclanthera pedata from Manali:
Cyclanthera pedata (L.) Schrad., Index Seminum (GOET) 1831: 2 1831

Common names: Achocha, wild cucumber, stuffing cucumber
Herbaceous climber, often grown as vegetable in Hill stations in India common in Manali and Sikkim
Common English names: Wild cucumber
Locally in Indian hill stations as Karela or even meetha karela (the name meetha karela actually belongs to Momordica dioica). The pedate leaves and smaller white flowers are distinctive, although young fruits carry spines like Momordica dioica.
Photographed from Manali and California

this is new to me… never seen it in the ganges delta veggie markets…

why stuffing cucumber.. do they make stuffed curry?
does it taste good raw?
have you eaten it?


Perhaps this quoted from Wikipedia provides answer for you:
“The fruit has a big cavity and thin fruit walls, and thus forms a pouch that is conveniently filled with other food stuffs, hence its name “pepino de rellenar” in the Andes, meaning the “filling cucumber”.”
The crop seems to be relatively new to India, as there seems to be little or no mentions in older books from India. I had known about a small karela being grown in Kashmir villages, but saw it last year only and was told by the owner that they know as a type of karela. Have also seen it being grown in Manali (they knew it as karela only).

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Cucurbitaceae Week: Cyclanthera pedata from Company Bagh Mussoorie:
This one is
Cyclanthera pedata (L.) Schrad. captured from Company Bagh, Mussoorie in August 2010. No fruits were developed at that time.



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Flora of Chakrata Part-2: Cyclanthera pedata from Chakrata:
Cyclanthera pedata from Chakrata
Cultivated vine


very interesting… in south america its eaten as vegetable..
I was surprised to see it is cultivated in north india, and the flowers are nothing to write home about.. so I wondered why?
not a garden ornamental..
googling got me this: that its grown in Bhutan and eaten as stuffed vegetable..
http://www.cropsforthefuture.org/2011/10/cyclanthera-pedata-from-the-andes-to-the-himalayas/
your picture shows that the green skin has spicules (is that the right word?) … wonder if they are sharp ?
MY QUESTION TO YOU … : SInce its being cultivated in your neighborhood… is it eaten as vegetable there too?

Yes … This plant was discussed in our forum in detail, when some one mentioned about sweet karela being grown in N E India. Subsequently I found it in Manali, Kashmir this year and couple of times in California grown as vegetable. Manali people call it as karela.


In Chakrata also it is called as Karela and eaten as vegetable. This was also grown by a shopkeeper there for personal use



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VOF Week: Climber for Id:
This delicate climber was shot from Ghanghariya- Gobind Ghat Trek,
looks like Cyclanthera pedata…please id/validate…


I think yes, the leaves are, however, more sharply and regularly serrate than I have seen at many a places.



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VoF Week: Cyclanthera pedata from Govindghat- Ghangriya Trail:
Cyclanthera pedata from Govindghat- Ghangriya Trail

Yes … Very good photographs.



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Cyclanthera pedata (L.) Schrad. (Cucurbitaceae) From Uttarakhand :  Attachments (2). 3 posts by 3 authors.

Cyclanthera pedata (L.) Schrad. (Cucurbitaceae was shot at Lambagar (2000m) on way to Badrinath where we had to trek through a village due to a massive landslide on road.
It is known as “Kankora’ here in Uttarakhand and, as elsewhere, green fruits are used as a vegetable.
A native of South America it is cultivated throughout the Himalaya as a vegetable.

Thanks …, we enjoyed the “Bhaaji” of this fruit during our Gori Valley Tour… nice pictures..


Yes … Had seen it in Manali and Kashmir also.



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Climber for ID, Sikkim NAW-JUL16-11 : 3 posts by 3 authors. Attachments (2)
Kindly identify this climber photographed in South Sikkim in May 2015.

Cyclanthera pedata (Cucurbitaceae) to me.
Please see eFI page.


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Cyclanthera pedata: 1 image.
Stuffing Cucumber (𝘊𝘺𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘢 𝘱𝘦𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘢)
𝗩𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗰𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝗡𝗮𝗺𝗲:𝗧𝗮’𝗿𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗹.
𝗙𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆:𝗖𝘂𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗯𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗮𝗲.
𝗟𝗼𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻:𝗦𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘂𝘀,𝗞𝘂𝗹𝗴𝗮𝗺,𝗝&𝗞.


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what is this plant?:  10 images.
writing after along time. This plant is growing in my garden. It looks familiar but I don’t know what it is. can someone tell me what plant it is and if the fruits are edible?
from germany


Cyclanthera pedata (L.) Schrader


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two more fotos of the fruits , i sent yesterday.: 3 images.
I found two more fotos in my collection. I took these fotos in 8.2011.
The seeds i got from one merchant, when i was travelling thru Darjeeling in jan. Feb. 2011. I remember, I has posted them to the group
under the name sweet Karela, so told me the merchant. I am also attaching the foto of the seeds.
I remember, someone told us the botanical name, and said that even the raw fruits can be eaten like cucumber.
I would be very glad, if you give me the link to your library of fruits and plants. I myself also can then search this plant.
I am sorry, i am not taking active part in this group. But i hope you would not take it ill.


Cooked as vegetables !


Do you know the botanical name?


Cyclanthera pedata (L.) Schrader


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Cyclanthera pedata (L.) Schrad.: 6 very high res. images.
Location: Mulkharka, Shivapuri, Kathmandu, Nepal.
Date: 30 July 2024
Altitude: 1936m.
Habitat : Cultivated



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References: