Fabaceae / Papilionaceae

Cucurbitaceae
Citrullus colocynthis Schred.
English name: Colocynth.
Local name: Sindhi- Tooh, Tumba, Urdu- Indrayan, Punjabi-
Tuma.
Description:
An annual prostrate herb, 1-2 m long. Leaves deeply dissected almost in three parts
attached with thick cylindrical stalk. Flowers arise from the axil of leaves usually
solitary, greenish. Fruits globose about 5 to 9 cm across, yellow when ripe,
unripe
with green and white stripes.
Flowering Period:
November to January.
Habitat:
Commonly found at the top of sand dunes and inter-dunal areas also around
agricultural fields.
Uses:
Thefruit andseedsareusedaspurgativeandroot injaundice,
urinarydisorders.Theplantisverybitter,pungent, refrigerant,
purgative,antirheumatic,antipyretic,anthelminticandantiinflammatory.Itisusedinenlargementofspleen,tuberculosus,
glandsofneck,ulcer,bronchitis,abdominalenlargementinthe
children. It is used in cure of pimples, dropsy, menstrual
diseases and preserving hairs form turning grey. Oil of the
seeds is used as a gastrointestinal restorative. Fruit and root
are considered as antidote to snake poison.
Distribution:
The species isspread in warmer partsofPakistan, India,
Africa andArabia to Spain.
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