Trichosanthes ANGUINA - Snake gourd, Serpent gourd, Trichosanthes anguina, Club gourd.
Trichosanthes is a genus of herbaceous vines in the family Cucurbitaceae, growing in tropical and subtropical regions of South and Southeast Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands. The generic name comes from the Greek words trichos ("hair") and anthos ("flower") and points to a characteristic feature - long, slender thread-like appendages along the petal margins, creating the effect of delicate lace.
The plants are annual or perennial climbing vines with clinging tendrils, allowing them to climb supports to significant heights. Leaves are alternate, simple, usually palmately lobed or heart-shaped. Flowers are unisexual (plants can be either monoecious or dioecious). Male flowers are often gathered in racemes, female ones are solitary. The corolla is usually white, rarely pinkish; the petal margins are dissected into numerous long hair-like segments, giving the flower a resemblance to a snowflake or intricate filigree ornament. The flowers open predominantly in the evening or night hours and exude a delicate aroma, attracting nocturnal pollinators - hawk moths and other insects.
Resembling whimsical snowflakes with thread-like tips, Trichosanthes flowers are unisexual: male ones gathered in a cluster open one by one, while female ones are solitary, reaching a diameter of 3-5 cm (1.2-2 in). The flowers give off an unforgettably delicate aroma. Flowering occurs in the evening, and by morning the flowers wither and can no longer attract insects, so hand pollination is required to obtain fruits.
Trichosanthes plants form unusual narrow cylindrical fruits 4-10 cm (1.6-4 in) in diameter and up to 120 cm (48 in) long, often curved. As they ripen, their coloration changes from dark green to orange-red with stripes.
Serpent gourd is a herbaceous perennial vine growing wild from India to Australia. The leaves are long, dark green. Flowers are incredibly beautiful, 5-petaled, snowy-white with long coiled threads extending from the petal ends. The fruit is long, cylindrical, edible, reaching 1.5 m (5 ft) in length and 4-10 cm (1.6-4 in) in diameter. The skin is thin, orange. The pulp is red, tender, mucilaginous. Immature fruits are green (in this form they are consumed like cucumbers), and turn yellow upon ripening.