Details of Medicinal Plants

Winter Melon

Benincasa hispida (Thunb.) Cogn. Cucurbitaceae

This climbing annual plant is indigenous to the tropical parts of Asia. The flowering period in Japan is June to August, and the fruit ripens fully 40 to 50 days after flowering. In Japan, the fruit is a vegetable eaten from late summer to early fall. However, when grown in the cool shade, it can bear fruit until the winter, so it is called ''winter melon''.

Part used: seed
Medicinal use: diuretic and laxative
Main component: trigonelline

The fruit in the photo has a spherical shape and bloom type.

The fruit in the photo is elliptical shape and the plant is bloomless.

The name of the herbal medicine is ''Benincasa Seed''.