Ivy gourd (Coccinia grandis, Hort. suburb. Calcutt. 59. 1845)

Family: Cucurbitaceae

Author: Voigt (L.)

Bibliography: Hort. suburb. Calcutt. 59. 1845

Year: 1845

Status: accepted

Rank: species

Genus: Coccinia

Vegetable: True

Observations: Trop. Africa, W. Arabian Pen., Trop. & Subtrop. Asia

Description

Ivy gourd, scientifically known as Coccinia grandis, is a climbing perennial vine belonging to the family Cucurbitaceae. First described in the mid-19th century by botanist Voigt (L.), this plant thrives predominantly in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. You can find it naturally occurring across Tropical Africa, the western Arabian Peninsula, as well as large swathes of Tropical and Subtropical Asia.

This vigorous plant is renowned for its rapid growth and its ability to spread, often seen trailing over fences, trees, and other structures. It features heart-shaped leaves that provide a lush green cover, making it not only significant in terms of its ecological role but also in horticultural aesthetics. The Ivy gourd produces small, white flowers that eventually give way to bright red, oblong fruits. These fruits are edible and boast a crisp texture with a slightly tangy taste. Both the young shoots and the fruits are used in various culinary traditions, often prized for their nutritional value.

In many cultures, Ivy gourd is also valued for its medicinal properties. It has been traditionally used to treat a variety of ailments, ranging from digestive issues to diabetes management. Recent studies have investigated its potential benefits, highlighting its significance as not just a food source but also a component of herbal medicine.

Despite its usefulness, Ivy gourd can become invasive, particularly in non-native environments where it tends to outcompete local flora. Its ability to propagate rapidly through seeds and cuttings makes it a robust plant, but also one that requires careful management in garden and agricultural settings to prevent unwanted spread.

In summary, Coccinia grandis, or Ivy gourd, is a versatile and important plant species, appreciated for its culinary, medicinal, and ornamental values, while also calling for cautious handling due to its potential as an invasive species in certain ecosystems.

Common Names

Eng: ivy gourd, little gourd, scarlet gourd, scarlet-fruited gourd
Deu: tindola
Msa: pepasan
Spa: pepino cimarrón
Swe: scharlakansgurka
Khm: បាស ឬស្លឹកបាស
En: Ivy gourd, Little gourd, Scarlet gourd, Scarlet-fruited gourd, Pain-cure, Tindora, Wall-rue, Scarlet-fruited ivy gourd
Fr: Courge écarlate, Tindola
De: Tindola
Km: បាស ឬស្លឹកបាស
Ms: Pepasan
Es: Pepino cimarrón
Sv: Scharlakansgurka
Ur: Kundur, Kanduri

Synonyms

• Cucumis pavel (Kostel.)
• Coccinia schimperi (Naudin)
• Coccinia moghadd ((Forssk. ex J.F.Gmel.) Asch.)
• Coccinia loureiroana (M.Roem.)
• Bryonia acerifolia (D.Dietr.)
• Bryonia barbata (Buch.-Ham. ex Cogn.)
• Cucurbita dioica (Roxb. ex Wight & Arn.)
• Coccinia grandis var. wightiana ((M.Roem.) Greb.)
• Cucurbita schimperiana (Hochst. ex Cogn.)
• Cephalandra schimperi ((Naudin) Naudin)
• Luffa moghadd ((Forssk. ex J.F.Gmel.) Peterm.)
• Bryonia sinuosa (Wall.)
• Coccinia wightiana (M.Roem.)
• Coccinia indica (Wight & Arn.)
• Turia moghadd (Forssk. ex J.F.Gmel.)
• Bryonia moimoi (Ser.)
• Coccinia helenae (Buscal. & Muschl.)
• Coccinia palmatisecta (Kotschy)
• Momordica covel (Dennst.)
• Momordica bicolor (Blume)
• Bryonia alceifolia (Willd.)
• Momordica monadelpha (Roxb.)
• Bryonia grandis (L.)
• Coccinia moimoi ((Ser.) M.Roem.)
• Cucumis sativus var. arakis (Forssk.)
• Coccinia cordifolia var. alceifolia ((Willd.) Cogn.)
• Physedra gracilis (A.Chev.)
• Coccinia cordifolia var. wightiana ((M.Roem.) Cogn.)
• Cephalandra moghadd ((Forssk. ex J.F.Gmel.) Broun & R.L.Massey)
• Cephalandra indica (Naudin)
• Cephalandra indica var. palmata (C.B.Clarke)
• Cephalandra grandis ((L.) Kurz)
• Coccinia grandis var. quinqueangularis (Miq.)

Distribution

• Assam (native)
• Bangladesh (native)
• Benin (native)
• Borneo (native)
• Cambodia (native)
• Cameroon (native)
• Central African Repu (native)
• Chad (native)
• China South-Central (native)
• China Southeast (native)
• Djibouti (native)
• Eritrea (native)
• Ethiopia (native)
• Gambia (native)
• Ghana (native)
• Guinea-Bissau (native)
• Hainan (native)
• India (native)
• Ivory Coast (native)
• Jawa (native)
• Kenya (native)
• Laccadive Is. (native)
• Laos (native)
• Lesser Sunda Is. (native)
• Malaya (native)
• Mali (native)
• Maluku (native)
• Mauritania (native)
• Myanmar (native)
• Nepal (native)
• Niger (native)
• Nigeria (native)
• Pakistan (native)
• Philippines (native)
• Saudi Arabia (native)
• Senegal (native)
• Sierra Leone (native)
• Somalia (native)
• South China Sea (native)
• Sri Lanka (native)
• Sudan (native)
• Sulawesi (native)
• Tanzania (native)
• Thailand (native)
• Togo (native)
• Uganda (native)
• Vietnam (native)
• West Himalaya (native)
• Yemen (native)
• Zaïre (native)
• Andaman Is. (introduced)
• Brazil Southeast (introduced)
• Caroline Is. (introduced)
• Colombia (introduced)
• Cuba (introduced)
• Dominican Republic (introduced)
• Egypt (introduced)
• Fiji (introduced)
• Florida (introduced)
• French Guiana (introduced)
• Guyana (introduced)
• Hawaii (introduced)
• Leeward Is. (introduced)
• Marianas (introduced)
• Mauritius (introduced)
• Mozambique (introduced)
• Nicaragua (introduced)
• Nicobar Is. (introduced)
• Northern Territory (introduced)
• Puerto Rico (introduced)
• Queensland (introduced)
• Suriname (introduced)
• Taiwan (introduced)
• Texas (introduced)
• Tonga (introduced)
• Trinidad-Tobago (introduced)
• Wake I. (introduced)
• Western Australia (introduced)
• Windward Is. (introduced)

Additional Images

Flower

Taken Mar 18, 2016 by Hugo SANTACREU (cc-by-sa)

Taken Dec 4, 2021 by Vishwanath Krishnaswamy (cc-by-sa)

Taken Mar 23, 2016 by Hugo SANTACREU (cc-by-sa)

Taken Nov 25, 2021 by Arvind Kulkarni (cc-by-sa)

Taken May 23, 2017 by Hugo SANTACREU (cc-by-sa)

Leaf

Taken Feb 23, 2020 by ifp660 (cc-by-sa)

Taken Aug 31, 2021 by Come Naughty (cc-by-sa)

Taken May 23, 2017 by Hugo SANTACREU (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jun 2, 2021 by Jitin Budhlakoti (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jun 2, 2021 by Jitin Budhlakoti (cc-by-sa)

Fruit

Taken Jan 26, 2016 by Tela Botanica − Hugo SANTACREU (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jun 23, 2021 by De Castro Michael (cc-by-sa)

Taken Mar 18, 2016 by Hugo SANTACREU (cc-by-sa)

Taken Mar 18, 2016 by Hugo SANTACREU (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jun 19, 2020 by punchpays (cc-by-sa)

Bark

Taken Nov 22, 2022 by Prasanta Hembram (cc-by-sa)

Taken Nov 22, 2022 by Prasanta Hembram (cc-by-sa)

Taken Nov 22, 2022 by Prasanta Hembram (cc-by-sa)

Taken Mar 21, 2022 by Sebastian Bota (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jan 1, 1900 by EOL − Forest & Kim Starr (cc-by)

Other

Taken Nov 30, 2012 by J. Champ (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jan 17, 2022 by huy HO (cc-by-sa)

Taken Nov 30, 2012 by J. Champ (cc-by-sa)

Taken Nov 30, 2012 by J. Champ (cc-by-sa)

Taken Aug 19, 2017 by Tela Botanica − Sylvain PIRY (cc-by-sa)

Habit

Taken Nov 30, 2012 by J. Champ (cc-by-sa)

Taken Nov 30, 2012 by J. Champ (cc-by-sa)

Taken Mar 2, 2017 by Tela Botanica − Liliane ROUBAUDI (cc-by-sa)

Taken Mar 2, 2017 by Tela Botanica − Liliane ROUBAUDI (cc-by-sa)

Taken Mar 2, 2017 by Tela Botanica − Liliane ROUBAUDI (cc-by-sa)

© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Sources

• WFO (No URL)
• IPNI (No URL)
• GBIF (https://www.gbif.org/species/2874564)
• POWO (http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:291972-1)
• PlantNet (https://identify.plantnet.org/species/the-plant-list/Coccinia grandis (L.) Voigt)

Specifications

Growth habit>: Vine, Forb/herb

Growth