Citrullus colocynthis Indrayan Indravaruni

Plant Profile

Botany

Binomial nomenclature

Citrullus colocynthis

Scientific Name and Description

Citrullus colocynthis (L.) SCHRADER

Herb Family

Cucurbitaceae

Plant type

Climber

Plant Synonyms

Cucumis colocynthis L.
Citrullus colosynthesis
Citrullus colocynthoides Pangalo
Citrullus pseudocolocynthis M.Roem.
Colocynthis officinalis Schrad.
Colocynthis vulgaris Schrad.
Cucumis colocynthis L.

Plant Names - Common - Regional - Vernacular

Common name	bitter apple, desert gourd, wild gourd, vine of Sodom, bitter cucumber,
English	bitter apple, colocynth
Hindi	badi indrayan, chota tarbooj, ghorumba, indarayan, indrayan, makal, makhal, makkal, toos, tumba, tumbi, tumbo, turo, Indrayan, Karavella
Kannada	balibandrakshi, daasamekke, dodda haale, doddahallu mekke, haavu mekke kaayi, hamekkae, hara mekke kaayi, hara-mekki-kayi, hava, hava-mekke-kayi, hoa mekke, indravaaruni, kaada kavade, kaadu kavade kaayi, kaadu kavadi kaayi, kakkaavade kaayi, kakkavade kaayi, mekke-kayi, pavamekkekayi, tumtikayi
Malayalam	kattuvellari, katuvelleri, paikummatti, peykommutti, valiya pekkummatti
Marathi	indraavana, indraphal, kadu-indravani, kaduvrindaavan, kuru-vrandawan, Indrayan, Karvyacha Magzhar
Sanskrit	aindri, atmaraksha, brihadvaruni, brihatphala, chitrala, chitrapala, chitraphala, chitravalli, citra, devi, dirghavalli, eindri, gajachirbhira, gavadani, gavaksi, gvadani, hastidanti, indra, indrahva, indralvaruni, indrasahva, indrasura, indravalli, indravaruni, indravarunika, kapilakshi, katurasa, kaya, kumbhasi, mahaphala, mahendravaruni, mahendri, makhal, mrgabojani, mrgadani, mrgevraru, mrigadini, mrigakshi, ramya, rigevaru, shvetapushpa, soumya, trapusi, tunvasi, urupriya, visala, vishala
Tamil	alacai, alakai,alakaikkommattikkoti, allikam, analacam, antimarittan, antimarittankoti, arruddummatti, arrukkoti,arrumari, arruttumatti, arruttumatti camulam, arruttumatti caru, arruttummatti, artu-tumatti, aruttumatti, attacikkay, attanatipputu, avirekam, carutka, catamurkkiyam, cempuccuttiyakki, cimitti, cipitti, cirankita, cirupacacikkumitti, cirupeykkumitti, cittirapalam, cittirapalattiram, copotapa, cotanicam, cukkankay1, curapicekam, curapicekkumitti, curnapali, curnapalikkoti, cuvarkkam, cuvetaputpa, ilinkapanti, intiravallarai, intiravaruni#, intiravaruni, intiravarunikai, intukitakkoti, intukitam, iramakkumitti, kacappuccirikam, kacappuccirikkoti, kacappukkummatti, kacappukkummattikkoti, kacappumancaki, kacappumancakikkoti, kacappuvellari, kacappuvellarikkoti, kaccakkumitti, kaccakkumittikkoti, kaccalkoti, kakamarttam, kalinkam, kalinkam, kantivaruni, karniyeca, katival, kativarkoti, kattuttummatti, kattuvellari, kavatci, kecci, kentuvaruni, ketavaikkoti, komatti, kommai, kommattikkoti, kontalai, kontalaikkoti,kontanai, kukkalinko, kulinkam, kumatti, kumattikkay, kummatti, makapala ,matca, maturi,mirukatcikam, nakatanti,pacakakkoti, pacakam , paedikari attutummatti, paitummatti, palama, paraikkommatti, pasanankaykkulkattu, patukkarakkumatti, patukkaram, paycumuti, pekkommatti, peruncimitti, petam, petikari, petikarikkoti, petummatti, peukkumutti, pey-komatti, peycoomutikai, peykkarumpu, peykkumatti, peykkumutti, peymalikakkumitti, peymalikam, peyt-tumatti, peyttumatti, peyttummatti, peyvellari, piccikkay, pitinkari, talaiviriccan, talaiviriccankoti, talaivirittan,tataki, tati, tippilikkommatti, tippilikkommattikkoti, tittika, tottalveci, tucakakkoti, tucika, tucikacceti, tumatti, tummatti, tummatti, tummutti,upavacakakkoti, upavacakam, vallarikkoti, valliri, varagamothankodi, varakamottankoti, varikkommatti, varikkumitti, varikkummatti, varikumatikai, varippiki, varippikikkumutti, varit-tumatti, varittumatti, varittummatti, varriecoomutie, varukam , verikkummatti, verittumatti, verrccarrilcempucutti, vicala, vicalam , vicaliya, viccalli, Erukkum-pazham
Telugu	chedu putcha kaaya, chitti-papara, chittipaapara, chittipapara, erri puchcha, eti-puch-cha, eti-puchcha, etipuchchha, etipuchha, kaarkarukamu, paaparabudama, paparabudama, paperabudama, patsakaya, putsakaya, veripuchchha, veriputsa, verri-puch-cha, verri-puchcha, verripuchha, Indraganti
Tibetan	bi sa la, bi-sa-la, byi sa la
Urdu	hanzal, indrayan ka guda, indyaran, shahme-hinzal
Bengali	Indrayan
Rajasthan Region	Tumbo

Plants Medicinal Value

Medicinal Systems

Ayurved

Unani

Siddha

Homoeopathy

Tibetan

Folk

Sowa Rigpa

Herb usable parts

Roots

Fruits

Whole plant

Ethanomedical Uses

Ethnopharmacology use

2 gms of dried root powder mixed with 20 ml. of goat milk and given orally as an antidote for snake bite

Source: Antidote: Medicinal plants - Dr. Shivamanjunatha MP - JMPS 2022; 10(1): 139-143

The fruit is bitter, pungent, cooling, purgative, antipyretic, anthelmintic and used for gaseous problem. In large doses it is toxic.
2-3 drops of root extract in the ear cures earache.
Root powder is effective in jaundice, urinary diseases and rheumatism.
Root extract is an antidote to scorpion bite.
The commercial drug "colocynth" from dry pulp of fruit is cathartic.
The inhalation of smoke of fruit kills the germs found in tooth.
Poultice of fruit is applied on tumour and boils.

Source: Medicinal Plants in the Indian Arid Zone, March 2005, Director Central Arid Zone Research Institute Jodhpur 342 003

Botanical name : Citrullus colosynthesis (L.) Schraders

Family : Cucurbitaceae

Part used : Root

Antidote for : Snake bite

Formulations and application : 2 gms of dried root powder mixed with 20 ml. of goat milk and given orally as an antidote for snake bite

Source: Antidote: Medicinal plants - Dr. Shivamanjunatha MP - JMPS 2022; 10(1): 139-143

Citrullus colocynthis (L.) Schrad.
Habit - Climber

Parts used - Whole plant

Application - Purgative; jaundice; rheumatism; snake bite; scorpion sting; bowel complaints; epilepsy; inflammation of breasts; hair growth; malaria; hepatitis; hysteria

Treatment - General; women; cow; goat

References -Chopda and Mahajan 2009, Dansi et al. 2008, Jain et al. 2009