Trichosanthes pilosa

Japanese snake gourd
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Cucurbitales
Family:	Cucurbitaceae
Genus:	Trichosanthes
Species:	T. pilosa
Binomial name
	Trichosanthes pilosa; Lour.
Synonyms
	Anguina pilosa (Lour.) Kuntze;

Trichosanthes pilosa is a species of flowering plant in the family Cucurbitaceae.^[1]^[2] It is a tropical or semitropical vine bearing an edible fruit. It is native to Japan, Taiwan, India, Malaysia, Vietnam, the Philippines, China (Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Hunan, Jiangxi, Sichuan, Xizang (Tibet), Zhejiang) and other parts of southeast Asia as well as in Australia.^[3]^[4]^[5]^[6]^[7] It is known in English as Japanese snake gourd^{[note 1]}.

The Japanese snake gourd (T. pilosa), is very similar in its vegetative characters to the more widespread "snake gourd", Trichosanthes cucumerina, the flower and leaves of the two species are very similar but the fruit of T. pilosa are round to egg-shaped, about 7 cm long and not resembling a snake.^[3]

Notes

^ Robinson and Decker-Walters (1997^[8]) p. 203-206: "Japanese snake gourd" preferred name for Trichosanthes ovigera, and Trichosanthes ovigera preferred definition for "japanese snake gourd".

References

^ ^a ^b ^c "Trichosanthes pilosa Lour". Plants of the World Online. The Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. n.d. Retrieved July 4, 2025.
^ ^a ^b "Trichosanthes pilosa Lour". Catalogue of Life. Species 2000. n.d. Retrieved July 4, 2025.
^ ^a ^b Flora of China v 19 p 45, Trichosanthes cucumeroides
^ Merrill, Elmer Drew. 1914. Philippine Journal of Science. Section C, Botany. Manila, 9: 458, Trichosanthes vanoverberghii in the Philippines
^ Kundu. 1943. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 43: 382, Trichosanthes ovigera var. sikkimensis, in Sikkim
^ Blume, Carl Ludwig von. 1826. Bijdragen tot de Flora van Nederlandsch Indie 15: 934, Trichosanthes ovigera in Malaya
^ Miquel, Friedrich Anton Wilhelm. 1856. Flora van Nederlandsch Indie i. I. 677, Trichosanthes horsfieldii in Java
^ Robinson RW and DS Decker-Walters. 1997. Appendix: Common Cucurbit Names and their Scientific Equivalents. in: Cucurbits. CAB International, USA.

[japanese_snake_gourd_robinson-9] Robinson and Decker-Walters (1997^[8]) p. 203-206: "Japanese snake gourd" preferred name for Trichosanthes ovigera, and Trichosanthes ovigera preferred definition for "japanese snake gourd".

[POWO-1] "Trichosanthes pilosa Lour". Plants of the World Online. The Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. n.d. Retrieved July 4, 2025.

[COL-2] "Trichosanthes pilosa Lour". Catalogue of Life. Species 2000. n.d. Retrieved July 4, 2025.

[jenniferkatcher-3] Flora of China v 19 p 45, Trichosanthes cucumeroides

[4] Merrill, Elmer Drew. 1914. Philippine Journal of Science. Section C, Botany. Manila, 9: 458, Trichosanthes vanoverberghii in the Philippines

[5] Kundu. 1943. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 43: 382, Trichosanthes ovigera var. sikkimensis, in Sikkim

[6] Blume, Carl Ludwig von. 1826. Bijdragen tot de Flora van Nederlandsch Indie 15: 934, Trichosanthes ovigera in Malaya

[7] Miquel, Friedrich Anton Wilhelm. 1856. Flora van Nederlandsch Indie i. I. 677, Trichosanthes horsfieldii in Java

[Robinson_and_Decker-Walters_1997-8] Robinson RW and DS Decker-Walters. 1997. Appendix: Common Cucurbit Names and their Scientific Equivalents. in: Cucurbits. CAB International, USA.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[note 1]

[8]