Apodanthera undulata, Gray. North America (Sonoran Desert): fruit eaten by Native American Pima Bajo group. Ref. MINNIS, PENNINGTON.
Bryonia alba, L.; Bull. France: starch of root recommended as a famine food for extending bread flour after removing acrid element. Ref. PARMENTIER.
Bryonia laciniosa, L. India (Deccan): leaves boiled and eaten. Ref. WATT.
Bryonia rostrata, Rottl. India (Madras Presidency): fruit and leaves eaten. Vernacular names - Tamil: Appa kovay. Telugu: Putribudinga. Ref. SHORTT.
Cephalandra indica, Naud. (syn. Coccinia indica, Wight. & Arn.) India: ripe fruits eaten. Vernacular name - Bombay Presidency, Nasik district, Halegaon: Tongli. Ref. GAMMIE.
Citrullus Colocynthis (L.) Schrad.(syn. Colocynthis vulgaris, Schrad.) India (Rajasthan): the seeds of this plant are gathered, washed with salt water many times to remove the bitter principles (mostly contained in the attached pulp), or are buried with common salt in small dugouts in the sand, kept covered there for a few weeks, washed, dried, ground into flour and made into Sogra, a rather hard-baked bread. The seeds may also be mixed with Bajra flour for bread. and are reported to provide better taste and lustre to chappatis; (Rajasthan, western): seeds eaten raw, fried and roasted. The dried pulp is listed in the British pharmacopoeia as a powerful hydragogue cathartic. Indigenous methods, however, have been developed to remove the bitter or poisonous principles, since some of the pulp which contains these elements remains attached to the seeds. Chemical composition (Turkish sample): the seeds, which represented 75.5% of the entire peeled fruit, contained traces of an alkaloidal principal, a small amount of an enzyme, and 12.72% of fatty oil containing, in turn, a small amount of phytosterol. The resin is non-glucosidic but portions extracted by ether and chloroform possessed purgative properties. Soil types favored by plant (Rajasthan, western): sandy; sand dunes and open plains. Vernacular names - Rajasthan, Jaisalmer district, : Toos,Tumba, Tastumba. Rajasthan (western):Tumba. Ref. BHANDARI; GUPTA & KANODIA, POWER & MOORE., SAXENA; SHANKARNARAYAN & SAXENA. Nigeria (Kano State, northern): fruit eaten. Requires long boiling to remove bitter principle. Vernacular name - Hausa: Kwariowa. Ref. MORTIMORE.
Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Mansf. India (Rajasthan): the seeds of this watermelon, which grows on the dry sand of the desert, are dried and pounded into a flour which is then mixed with the flour of Bajra (millet) to improve its quality and quantity and to provide better taste and lustre to chapattis prepared from it. It is also used to prepare sogra, a rather hard-baked bread. The small, flat seeds, when dried, are said to taste like almonds. The seeds are also roasted and eaten raw; (Rajasthan, western): red, ripe fruit eaten; green fruit used as vegetable; seeds eaten raw and fried Cotyledons removed and eaten raw or mixed with sugar for confection. Pulp used [as base] for cooling drink. Oil is extracted from seeds. Soil types favored by plant: sandy; sand dunes. Vernacular names - Rajasthan, Jaisalmer district: Matira/Matera. This species has a wild form which is very bitter and probably poisonous. Ref. BHANDARI; GUPTA & KANODIA, SAXENA; SHANKARNARAYAN & SAXENA, WEBB.
Citrullus vulgaris, Schrad. Chad (central) : fruit eaten. Vernacular name - Arabic: Bittekh. Ref. CRÉAC'H.
Coccinea cordifolia, Cognx. Chad (central): fruit eaten. Vernacular name - Arabic: Marr 'had. Ref. CRÉAC'H.
Coccinea grandis (L.) Voigt. India (Rajasthan, western ): red ripe fruit eaten raw; green fruit eaten as vegetable in curry. Vernacular names: Golenda, Kanduri, Tandli. Ref. GUPTA & KANODIA, SAXENA.
Coccinea Indica, Wight. & Arn. India (Madras Presidency): ripe fruit eaten. Vernacular names - Tamil: Covay kai. Telugu: Donda, Bimbika. Ref. SHORTT.
Coccinea trilobata, (Cogn.). Tanzania (central): leaves boiled and eaten. Vernacular name - Sandawe: Koba. Ref. NEWMAN.
Cucumis callosus (Rottle.) Cong. India (Western Rajasthan): ripe fruit eaten raw and used in curries; green fruit used as vegetable; dried fruit rind and seeds used in curries. Soil types favored by plant: sandy plains, sand dunes. Vernacular names - Kachra, Kachri, Bislambhi. Ref. GUPTA & KANODIA, SHANKARNARAYAN & SAXENA.
Cucumis melo, Blanco; L. var. agrestis, Naud. Chad (central): fruit eaten. Vernacular name - Arabic: Fagus an nas ('People's melon'). Ref. CRÉAC'H,
Cucumis momordica, Roxb. India (Madras Presidency): fruit eaten. Vernacular names - Tamil: Kaat velleri, Pythum kai. Telugu: Pedda doskay. Ref. SHORTT.
Cucumis prophetarum, L. Chad (central): fruit eaten. Vernacular name: Fagus al kulab ('Dog's melon'). Ref. CRÉAC'H.
Cucumis trigonus, Roxb. India (Bombay Presidency): fruit eaten. Vernacular name - Panch Mahals distrct, Bombay Presidency: Kachia. Australia (North Queensland): fruit eaten raw. Ref. GAMMIE, IRVINE.
Lagenaria vulgaris, Ser. New Zealand: the Maori ate the young fruit in summer after baking it in earth ovens. Elsewhere (in Oceania ?), it may have been eaten only in times of famine. Ref. DODGE.
Luffa cylindrica (L.) M. Roem. (syn. Luffa aegypticaca, Mil.) Nigeria (northern): young fruits cooked and eaten by the Hausa. French Guinea: eaten like squash in soups and stews. China: fruit peeled and boiled. Chemical composition (Chinese sample): Protein = 1.4%. Fat = 0.15%. Carbohydrate = 4.28%. Ash = 0.48%. Moderate quantities of Vitamins A, B1 and B2. Moderate amounts of Vitamin C. Seed oil (Zambian sample): oil = 16%. Component esters (wt%): 16:0 = 16%. 18:0 = 13%. 18:1 = 14%. 18:2 = 3%. Vernacular names: Louffah, Vegetable Sponge, Bitter Apple, Wild Cucumber. Ref. GUNSTONE et al, IRVINE, READ, UPHOF.
Melotheria japonica, Maxim. ex Cogn. in DC. China: fresh fruit eaten raw. Vernacular name: Small Wild Gourd. Ref. READ.
Momordica balsamina, L. India (Rajasthan, western ): green fruit used as vegetable. Vernacular name: Bankarela. Ref. SAXENA.
Momordica Charantia, L. China: fruit eaten. India (Deccan): leaves eaten. Chad (central ): leaves eaten. Chemical composition (Chinese sample): Protein = 0.91%. Fat = 0.23%. Carbohydrate = 3.29%. Ash = 0.56%. Reported rich in Vitamins B1, B2, and C, with some Vitamin A present. Vernacular names - English: Balsam Pear, Bitter Gourd. Chad (central) - Arabic: Il iero. Ref. CRÉAC'H, READ, WATT.
Momordica dioica, Roxb. India (Bombay Presidency): fruit eaten; (Western Rajasthan): ripe fruit eaten; unripe, green fruit eaten as vegetable in curry. Soil type favored by plant: sandy. Vernacular names - Bombay Presidency, Panch Mahals district,: Kankodan, Kantola. Rajasthan (western): Kankera, Bara -karela, Kankoda. RajasthanRef. GAMMIE; GUPTA & KANODIA, SAXENA.
Rhynocarpa foetida, Schrad.; C.B. Clark in Hook. f. India: fruit and leaves eaten. Ref. GAMMIE, WATT.
Trichosanthus cucumerina, Buch.-Ham, ex Wall.; Miq.; Thunb.; Wall. (syn. [?] Trichosanthus pubera, Blume.) [Shortt gives Trichianthis cucumera. The supposition is made this is a misspelling of the genus and species here entered]. India (place not specified): fruit eaten; (Madras Presidency): fruit curried. Vernacular names - Tamil: Pepoodel. Telugu: Chayud pottah. Ref. SHORTT, WATT.
Trichonsanthus japonica, Regel. China: the root, rich in starch, is peeled, cut into slices, soaked in repeated changes of water for five days until they disintegrate, and then mashed to a pulp which is made into steamed cakes. The pulp of the fruit is also eaten. Ref. READ.
Trichosanthus Kirlowii, Maxim. China: as for Trichosasnthus japonica. Vernacular name: Gourd. Ref. READ.
Trichosanthus multiloba, Miq. China: as for Trichonsanthus japonica. Ref. READ