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Common Name: Chinese Cucumber

General Information

Trichosanthes kirilowii is a Perennial Climber up to 6.00 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of oil.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

, ,

Range

E. Asia - China, Mongolia, Vietnam.

Habitat

Forest edges and a weed of thickets in China[]. Open forests, bushlands, grasslands and fields beside villages at elevations of 200 - 1800 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Perennial Climber
Height	6.00 m
Growth Rate	Fast
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Requires a rich well-drained soil and plenty of moisture in the growing season[, ].
Sometimes cultivated in China for its edible fruit and medicinal uses. Male plants are favoured for root production[]. This species is not winter hardy in Britain and usually requires greenhouse cultivation[]. However, it may be possible to grow it as an annual in a very warm sheltered bed outdoors[].
A climbing plant, supporting itself by means of tendrils[].
Dioecious, male and female plants must be grown if seed is required[].

Edible Uses

Fruit[]. The young fruits are pickled[]. The pulp of older fruits is eaten[]. Mature fruits are about 10cm long[].

Leaves and young shoots - cooked and used as a vegetable[, ].

An edible starch is obtained from the root[]. It requires leeching[], which probably means that it has a bitter flavour[]. The root is harvested in the autumn, cut into thick slices, soaked for 4 - 5 days in water, changing the water daily until the root disintegrates and can be mashed into a fine pulp. It is then steamed into cakes or used for making dumplings[, , ].

An edible oil is obtained from the seed.

Medicinal

This plant is commonly used in Chinese herbalism, where it is considered to be one of the 50 fundamental herbs[]. Recent research has isolated a protein called 'trichosanthin' in the roots and this is undergoing trials as a possible remedy for AIDS[].
Skin, vulnerary[, ].
The leaf and the stem are febrifuge[].
The fruit is antibacterial, anticholesterolemic, antifungal, depurative, emollient, expectorant and laxative[, , , , ]. It is used in the treatment of pulmonary infections with yellow and thick sputum, chest pains, stuffy feelings in the chest, constipation and dry stool[]. It has an antibacterial action against E. coli, Bacillus dysenteriae, B. typhi, B. paratyphi, Pseudomonas, Vibrio cholerae, V. Proteus etc[]. The fruit is traditionally prepared as a winter soup to ward off colds and influenza[]. The fruit is harvested in the autumn and dried for later use[].
The rind of the fruit is used to treat a number of ailments, including cancer, jaundice, retained placenta, bronchial infections with thick phlegm and sore throat[, , ].
The seed is antitussive, emollient and expectorant[].
The root is antibiotic, anti-inflammatory, febrifuge, galactogogue, laxative, oxytocic, sialagogue and uterine tonic[, , , , , ]. The fresh root has been noted for centuries as an abortifacient - a sponge soaked in its juice was placed in the vagina and induced an abortion in the second trimester of pregnancy[]. The root is taken internally in the treatment of diabetes, dry coughs, and to assist in the second stage of labour[, ]. The root is harvested in the autumn and dried for later use[].
The root and/or the seed is powdered and used in the treatment of mammary cancer[].

Other Uses

An oil from the seed is used for lighting[].

Propagation

Seed - sow early spring in pots in a warm greenhouse in a rich soil. Sow 2 - 3 seeds per pot and thin to the strongest plant. Grow them on fast and plant out after the last expected frosts. Give some protection, such as a frame or cloche, until the plants are growing away well.