முசுமுசுக்கை சூரணம் Musumusukkai

Description

Madras pea pumpkin is a perennial herb, climbing or trailing up to 3 m, stem bristly-hairy. Tendrils are simple, thread-like. Leaves are arrow shaped, hastate, nearly triangular to ovate in outline, usually deeply or shallowly heart-shaped at base, 1.5-9 cm long, and about as broad, 5-lobed to almost unlobed, wavy-toothed to irregularly lobulate-toothed, rough; middle lobe longest, triangular; lateral lobes ovate-triangular. Leaf-stalk varies from 3 mm to 8 cm in length. Flowers are borne on 1-3 mm long flower-stalks. Sepal-cup tube is 1-2 mm long, sepals 1 mm long. Petals are yellow, 1-2 x 1-1.2 mm. Berries are 1-7, nearly stalkless, in leaf-axils, clustered, nearly spherical, scarlet when ripe, smooth, hairless (green & bristly when young), 0.5-1.1 cm in diameter. Seeds are ovate, about twice as long as broad. Flowering: April-October.

Medical Benefits:

Good for Aiyam / Kapam.