Page:Indian Medicinal Plants (Text Part 1).djvu/677

Rh Var. (1) momordica, Roxb. 700.

Sans. : — Ervaru.

Vern. : — Phût or phûnt (ripe) ; Kachra (when unripe) ; Tuti (H.) ; Phûti (B.) ; Kakari-kai (Tam.) ; Pedda-kai, Pedda-dosrai (Tel.).

An annual herb, cultivated. Stem scabrous. Leaves roundish cordate, sometimes 5-angled or obscurely lobed, repand- toothed : Flowers short peduncled, males fascicled, female solitary. Petals slightly acute. Fruit cylindric-oblong, straight, 4-times larger than thick, bursting spontaneously, 12-14in. long.

Use : — The seeds are used as a cooling medicine (Watt).

Sans. : — Karkati.

Var, (2) utilissimus Roxb. 701.

Vern. : — Kakri, (H.) Kâkur (B.) ; Kukri (Kangra) ; Dosray, Velliri, Kakkarik (Tam.) ; Kâkâdi (Bomb.) ; Kákdi (Dec.) ; Târkâkdi (Poona).

Habitat :- Cultivated in Bengal, U. P. and the Punjab, during the hot weather and the rains.

Stems exactly as in C. sativus, but not quite so extensive. Tendrils simple. Leaves broadcordate, generally more or less five-lobed ; lobes rounded, toothletted ; above pretty smooth, below scabrous, the largest generally about 6 inches each way. Floral leaves of the female flowers sessile, and very small. Male flowers axilliary, peduncled, crowded, but opening in succession. Female flowers axillary, peduncled, solitary, both sorts yellow, about an inch or an inch and a half in diameter. Fruit fleshy, generally a very perfect oval ; when young downy and clouded with lighter and darker green ; when ripe perfectly smooth, variegated with deeper and lighter yellow ; from four to six inches long, and from three to four in diameter (Roxburgh).

Uses : — The seeds are described as cooling, edible, nutritive and diuretic, and are used in painful micturition and supprestion of urine. Two drachms of the seeds, rubbed into a pulp with water are given alone or in combination with salt and Kânjika (U. C. Dutt).

The powder of the toasted seeds is described as a powerful diuretic, and serviceable in promoting the passage of sand or gravel (Roxburgh).