Solena amplexicaulis

(Lam.) Gandhi

CucurbitaceaeFruitLeavesRootsPotential hazards — see below

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iNaturalist · cc0
no rights reserved

What to Eat

Edible parts: Fruit, Vegetable, Roots, Leaves

Young fruits are cooked as a vegetable or eaten raw. The tubers are boiled, roasted, or used in curries. Young leaves are boiled and eaten.

Known Hazards

In India, the fruits of Solena amplexicaulis are picked when not yet ripe for use in salads and in curries, and the shoots, leaves and tubers are also eaten in some parts of the country. In Chhattisgarh, the fruits and roots are consumed to assist in the digestion of bushmeat. Creeping cucumber can be gathered from the wild or can be cultivated as a field crop and given suitable supports over which to climb. In traditional medicine, the tuberous roots of Solena amplexicaulis are used to treat anorexia, digestive problems, flatulence, asthma, gonorrhoea and spermatorrhoea, and extracts of the leaves are widely used to treat inflammation. Additionally, an ethanol extract of the tuberous roots demonstrates antioxidant, antimicrobial and analgesic properties, but is moderately toxic.

Where to Find It

It is a subtropical plant. In the Himalayas it grows up to 2,000 m above sea level.

Asia, China, Himalayas, India, Indochina, Myanmar, Nepal, Northeastern India, Pakistan, SE Asia, Taiwan, Thailand,

Countries: United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bahrain, Brunei, Bhutan, China, Georgia, Indonesia, Israel, India, Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Cambodia, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Laos, Lebanon, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Mongolia, Maldives, Malaysia, Nepal, Oman, Philippines, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Syria, Thailand, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, Turkey, Taiwan, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Yemen

How to Identify

A pumpkin family plant. It is a climber. It has fleshy roots. The leaves vary in shape. They are 0.5-1.5 cm long. They are slender and lobed. They have a rough surface. The tendrils are simple. The flowers are yellow or white. They are 6 mm long by 4 mm wide. The fruit is 2.5 cm long by 1.5 cm wide. They are red when ripe. They have a rough surface. They contain several seeds. The seeds are small and grey. They are 8 mm long by 6 mm wide.

Nutrition

Part	Moisture	kJ	kcal	Protein	Vit A	Vit C	Iron	Zinc
Fruit	—	—	—	—	2.4	—	—	—

Wikipedia

Source ↗

Solena amplexicaulis, commonly known as the creeping cucumber, is a species of plant in the family Cucurbitaceae, native to tropical southern Asia. The fruits, leaves, roots and shoots have use as food and in traditional medicine.

Notes

There is only one Solena species. Probably same as next species.

Names & Synonyms

Bana-kundari, Banakunduri, Bankakra, Ban-kakri, Buru kundri, Garalakayi, Gol kakri, Gometi, Gorkhi, Hagrani thaisum-muri, Hosh, Kundri, Kunduli, Lwnthi mwigong, Mataka, Mat kakari, Maukhari, Nakal naru, Nawh phuai, Rakhal gota, Rakhal sasa, Tarali, Thuli bihi, Toju

Bryonia amplexicaulis Lam.Melothria amplexicaulis (Lam.) Cogn.Melothria heterophylla (Lour.) Cogn.Momordica umbellata (Klein ex Willd.) Roxb.Zehneria umbellata (Klein ex Willd.) Thwaites

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