Trichosanthes multiloba
At a glance
- Lifecycle
- Annual
- Exposure
- Full sun
Cultivation
Requires a rich well-drained soil and plenty of moisture in the growing season. This species is not winter hardy in Britain and usually requires greenhouse cultivation. However, it may be possible to grow it as a spring-sown annual in a very warm sheltered bed outdoors. Closely related to T. palmata, and possibly no more than a form of that species, it differs only in its fruit.
Propagation
Seed - sow March 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.
Edible uses
An edible starch is obtained from the root. The starch is mixed with wheat or rice flour and made into crackers, dumplings, noodles etc.
Medicinal uses
Antitussive, astringent, diuretic, febrifuge, tonic.
Material uses
An oil from the seed is used for lighting.
Habitat
Found at elevations between 600 and 1,800 metres in the Himalayas
Native range
E. Asia - China, central and southern Japan and the eastern Himalayas.