Coccinia grandis - Ivy Gourd

Family:	Cucurbitaceae
Habit:	Perennial
Height:	3
Synonyms:	C. cordifolia. C. indica. Wight.&Arn.
Range:	Tropical Asia To Africa.

Coccinia grandis (Ivy Gourd) is a Perennial which grows to a height of 3m . It has a hardness rating of 9.
Ivy Gourd will flower in February to March. The flowers from this plant are dioecious (each plant is either male or female, thus both genders need to be present to seed) and they are pollinated by

Soil Information

Ivy Gourd will grow in light (sandy),medium (loamy),hard (clay) soil. It is / is important for the soil to be well drained.
The soil prefers the following PH / acid levels :
- pH of less than 6, Acidic soils
- pH between 6 and 8, Neutral soils
- pH greater than 8, Basic soils
Ivy Gourd prefers moist soils

Ideal Planting Locations

Ivy Gourd should not be planted in shady areas.

Deciduous bush, savannah, dry evergreen forest and thickets[200].

Planting places suited to this plant described below.

• Grows within a woodland garden
• Grows on a sunny edge

Cultivation Details

Succeeds in any soil[1] but prefers a sunny sheltered position in a humus-rich open soil[164]. Keep the plant well watered in the growing season[164]. Occasionally cultivated for its edible fruit in tropical and sub-tropical zones[46, 61], this plant is not hardy in Britain and normally requires greenhouse protection if it is to fruit here[200]. However, it may succeed outdoors as a tender annual in hot summers if given a suitable position and started off early in the greenhouse. Dioecious, male and female plants must be grown if seed and fruits are required.

Edible Uses*

* See disclaimer
Edible Rating: 2/5
Young leaves and long slender stem tops - cooked and eaten as a potherb or added to soups[46, 61, 105, 177, 183, 272]. Young and tender green fruits - raw in salads or cooked and added to curries etc[2, 46, 61, 105, 177, 183]. Ripe scarlet fruit - raw. Fleshy and sweet[183]. The fruit is up to 5cm long[200].

• Fruit -
• Leaves -

Medicinal Uses*

* See disclaimer
Medicinal Rating: 2/5
The juice of the roots and leaves is considered to be a useful treatment for diabetes[240, 272]. The juice of the stem is dripped into the eyes to treat cataracts[272]. The leaves are used as a poultice in treating skin eruptions[240]. The plant is laxative[61]. It is used internally in the treatment of gonorrhoea[240]. Aqueous and ethanolic extracts of the plant have shown hypoglycaemic principles[240].

• Hypoglycaemic - Reduces the levels of sugar in the blood.
• Laxative - Stimulates bowel movements in a fairly gentle manner.
• Miscellany - Various medicinal actions that need more clarification.
• Ophthalmic - Treats eye complaints.
• Poultice - A moist, usually warm or hot, mass of plant material applied to the skin in the treatment of burns etc.
• VD - Used in the treatment of venereal disease

Propagation

Seed - sow March in a warm greenhouse in pots of fairly rich soil placing 2 - 3 seeds in each pot. The seed usually germinates within 2 - 4 weeks at 20°c[164]. Thin to the best seedling in each pot and grow them on fast, giving occasional liquid feeds. Plant out after the last expected frosts and give the plants some protection such as a cloche until they are growing away well.

Known Hazards

None known

Other Uses

None known

Cultivars

no recorded cultivars

References

The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Huxley. A.
Author: Huxley. A.
Rating:
Publisher : Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
Date of Publication : 1992

DISCLAIMER: All information published on AussieGardening.com.au is for entertainment purposes only. Readers are encouraged to confirm the information contained here with other sources. The information is not intended to replace medical advice offered by doctors or dietary advice by dieticians. AussieGardening.com.au will not be liable for any direct, indirect, consequential, special, exemplary, or other damages arising therefrom.