Telakucha or Ivy gourd, Coccinia grandis

Telakucha or Ivy gourd (Coccinia grandis, family: Cucurbitaceae) is a perennial creeper with soft stem and fleshy leaves. It is found in different parts of Africa, Asia and Australia. 

   Fruits are very attractive but inedible to human.

                                                                            Common names: Telakucha, Ivy gourd, Scarlet gourd

The creeper is propagated by cutting.

Flowers are pure white, funnel-shaped, sepals 5, petals 5. A blooming flower is 5 cm across. Flower blooms mostly in summer to rainy season.  

Its flower, almost looks like Bottle gourd flower

Little gourd or Telakucha vine usually seen on ground as a trailer but with its tendril it can climb up high of a tree or a pole.

Fruits look like almost Bottle gourd but much smaller in size. The green fruits also resemble Pointed gourd at a glance.

                                      

Leaves are dark green, glaucous, glabrous, petioled and crisped; 8-10 cm long and 3-8 cm wide. Single leaves are usually associated with five lobes, but sometimes it can be multi-angled or heart-shaped.

Unusal multi-angled leaves

Coccinia grandis is a famous medicinal plant in Indian subcontinent. It is used in cold, fever, plethora, asthma, nausea, diabetes and tastelessness. In Bangladesh it leaves are used as vegetable.