Kedrostis foetidissima

 

/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Picture_23-01-15%20013.jpg
/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/DSC01473-4-3.JPG

 

Identification of plant from Cucurbitaceae. : 7 posts by 4 authors. Attachments (4)

I attach herewith a new specimen for identification.
Place:  Ranipet,  Vellore Dist,  Tamilnadu
Date:  24-12-14/ 25-01-15
Found on the railway track. The leaves are some what fleshy and fragile (broken when pressed)
Other details will be revealed by the pictures themselves. With great difficulties I could trace out up to the Genus level. (I may be wrong also). It may be Kedrostis sp.
Pl help me in identifying the plant which is a puzzle for a long time.

kedrostis foetidissima I hope

I want to know whether this species was reported previously anywhere from our country ?

I think it occurs in India.
Pl. see Review of the Genus Solena (Cucurbitaceae) Authors: Wilde, W.J.J.O. De; Duyfjes, B.E.E. Source: Blumea – Biodiversity, Evolution and Biogeography of Plants, Volume 49, Number 1, May 2004 , pp. 69-81(13)

(Abstract: The genus Solena Lour. is redefined, and its 3 species and 1 subspecies are keyed out and described: S. amplexicaulis occurs in S India, S. heterophylla, with 2 subspecies is widespread, but does not occur in S India, and S. umbellata (Klein ex Willd.) W.J. de Wilde & Duyfjes, comb. nov., occurs in S India and Sri Lanka. The status of S. heterophylla subsp. napaulensis (Ser.) W.J. de Wilde & Duyfjes, comb. & stat. nov. needs further study as this subspecies is very similar to the more widespread subsp. heterophylla, but it is distinct by sigmoid thecae. Solena amplexicaulis is taxonomically more distinct from the other two species of Solena. In southern India Kedrostis foetidissima much resembles Solena in general habit, especially by the more or less amplexicaul leaves, and therefore it is discussed and keyed out against Solena.)

Yes this plant is reported from India and appears in Cucurbitaceae of India: Susanne S. Renner & Arun K. Pandey / PhytoKeys 20: 53–118 (2013) it is listed on page 79
Kedrostis foetidissima (Jacq.) Cogn. in A. & C. DC., Monogr. Phan. 3: 634. 1881.

Trichosanthes foetidissima Jacq., Collectanea 2: 841. 1788.
Type: West Africa, plant cultivated in Vienna and depicted in Jacq. , Collectanea 4. 1790, pl. 624.
Bryonia rostrata Rottler, Neue Schriften der Ges. Naturf. Freunde Berlin 4: 212. 1803.
Aechmandra rostrata (Rottler) Arn., J. Bot. 3: 274. 1841.
Rynchocarpa rostrata (Rottler) Naudin, Ann. Sci. Nat., Bot. sér. 4,16: 177. 1862.
Kedrostis rostrata (Rottler) Cogn. in A. & C. DC., Monogr. Phan. 3: 636. 1881.
Type: India, Tamil Nadu, Nandaradah, Rottler 766 (B-W, K).
Distribution in India: Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu. Cultivated.
Distribution outside India: A West African species cultivated in India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Pakistan, Sri Lanka.
Image: For a detailed description and links to images see http://plants.jstor.org/fl ora/ftea001850
GenBank: Sequences from a plant from Benin (Africa): AM981179, AM981180.
Comments: Fruits and leaves are used as a vegetable, and the roots (and fruits) also medicinally.
43. Lagenaria siceraria (Molina) Standl., Publ. Field Mus. Nat. Hist. Chicago, Bot.

Thank you for introducing to a new plant, Many thanks to …
Besides the description Gurcharan Sir provided an hour ago I would like to add that the species finds its entry in Fl. Br. Ind. ii. 627 and Fl. ind. iii. 726.
Two KEW herb-
Please check flower size, flowers should be small as per Flora of British India and JCB link above.