Taxon: Trichosanthes pilosa Lour.

Summary

Genus:

Trichosanthes

Family:

Cucurbitaceae

Tribe:

Sicyoeae

Nomen number:

470289

Place of publication:

Fl. cochinch. 2:588. 1790

Verified:

01/29/2015 ARS Systematic Botanists.

Accessions:

7 (2 active, 0 available) in National Plant Germplasm System. (Map it)

Other conspecific taxa

Autonyms (not in current use), synonyms and invalid designations

Heterotypic Synonym(s)
Bryonia cucumeroides Ser.
Trichosanthes cucumeroides (Ser.) Maxim.
Trichosanthes himalensis C. B. Clarke
Trichosanthes ovigera Blume

No images

Conservation Status

Reference(s)

Cooper, W. E. & H. J. de Boer. 2011. A taxonomic revision of Trichosanthes L. (Cucurbitaceae) in Australia, including one new species from the Northern Territory. Austrobaileya 8:371-375.
De Wilde, W. J. J. O. & B. E. E. Duyfjes. 2008. Miscellaneous South East Asian cucurbit news. Reinwardtia 12:270-271.
Smitinand, T. & K. Larsen, eds. 1970-. Flora of Thailand.
Steenis, C. G. G. J. van, ed. 1948-. Flora malesiana.
Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).

Common names

Language	Name	Alternate name	note	seq	Citation
English	snake gourd		as Trichosanthes ovigera	1	Huxley, A., ed. 1992. The new Royal Horticultural Society dictionary of gardening Note: as Trichosanthes ovigera

Distribution

order_code	Status	Continent	Subcontinent	Country	State	Note	Reference
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Guangdong Sheng		Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Guangxi Zhuangzu Zizhiqu		Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Guizhou Sheng		Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Hainan Sheng		Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Hunan Sheng		Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Jiangxi Sheng		Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Sichuan Sheng		Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Xizang Zizhiqu	s.e.	Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Yunnan Sheng		Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Zhejiang Sheng		Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Eastern Asia	Japan	Honshu		Iwatsuki, K. et al. 1993-. Flora of Japan.
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Eastern Asia	Japan	Kyushu		Iwatsuki, K. et al. 1993-. Flora of Japan.
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Eastern Asia	Japan	Ryukyu Islands		Iwatsuki, K. et al. 1993-. Flora of Japan.
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Eastern Asia	Japan	Shikoku		Iwatsuki, K. et al. 1993-. Flora of Japan.
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Eastern Asia	Taiwan			Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Indian Subcontinent	Bangladesh			Jeffrey, C. 1980. Further notes on Cucurbitaceae: V. The Cucurbitaceae of the Indian subcontinent. Kew Bull. 34:798.
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Indian Subcontinent	India		n.	Jeffrey, C. 1980. Further notes on Cucurbitaceae: V. The Cucurbitaceae of the Indian subcontinent. Kew Bull. 34:798.
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Indian Subcontinent	Nepal			Hara, H. et al. 1978-1982. An enumeration of the flowering plants of Nepal.
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Indo-China	Myanmar			Smitinand, T. & K. Larsen, eds. 1970-. Flora of Thailand.
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Indo-China	Thailand			Smitinand, T. & K. Larsen, eds. 1970-. Flora of Thailand.
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Indo-China	Vietnam			Aubréville, A. et al., eds. 1960-. Flore du Cambodge du Laos et du Viet-Nam.
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Malesia	Indonesia	Jawa		Steenis, C. G. G. J. van, ed. 1948-. Flora malesiana.
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Malesia	Indonesia	Kalimantan		Steenis, C. G. G. J. van, ed. 1948-. Flora malesiana.
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Malesia	Indonesia	Lesser Sunda Islands		Steenis, C. G. G. J. van, ed. 1948-. Flora malesiana.
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Malesia	Indonesia	Maluku		Steenis, C. G. G. J. van, ed. 1948-. Flora malesiana.
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Malesia	Indonesia	Sulawesi		Steenis, C. G. G. J. van, ed. 1948-. Flora malesiana.
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Malesia	Indonesia	Sumatera		Steenis, C. G. G. J. van, ed. 1948-. Flora malesiana.
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Malesia	Malaysia			Steenis, C. G. G. J. van, ed. 1948-. Flora malesiana.
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Malesia	Philippines	Luzon		Steenis, C. G. G. J. van, ed. 1948-. Flora malesiana.
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Malesia	Philippines	Mindanao		Steenis, C. G. G. J. van, ed. 1948-. Flora malesiana.
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Malesia	Singapore			Steenis, C. G. G. J. van, ed. 1948-. Flora malesiana.
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Papuasia	Indonesia	Papua		Steenis, C. G. G. J. van, ed. 1948-. Flora malesiana.
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Papuasia	Papua New Guinea			Steenis, C. G. G. J. van, ed. 1948-. Flora malesiana.
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Papuasia	Solomon Islands			Steenis, C. G. G. J. van, ed. 1948-. Flora malesiana.
1	Native	Australasia	Australia	Australia	Northern Territory		Cooper, W. E. & H. J. de Boer. 2011. A taxonomic revision of Trichosanthes L. (Cucurbitaceae) in Australia, including one new species from the Northern Territory. Austrobaileya 8:371-375.
1	Native	Australasia	Australia	Australia	Queensland	n.e.	Cooper, W. E. & H. J. de Boer. 2011. A taxonomic revision of Trichosanthes L. (Cucurbitaceae) in Australia, including one new species from the Northern Territory. Austrobaileya 8:371-375.
1	Native	Australasia	Australia	Australia	Western Australia	n.e.	Cooper, W. E. & H. J. de Boer. 2011. A taxonomic revision of Trichosanthes L. (Cucurbitaceae) in Australia, including one new species from the Northern Territory. Austrobaileya 8:371-375.

Native
Asia-Temperate

CHINA: China [Guangdong Sheng, Guangxi Zhuangzu Zizhiqu, Guizhou Sheng, Hainan Sheng, Hunan Sheng, Jiangxi Sheng, Sichuan Sheng, Xizang Zizhiqu (s.e.), Yunnan Sheng, Zhejiang Sheng]
EASTERN ASIA: Japan [Honshu, Kyushu, Ryukyu Islands, Shikoku], Taiwan

Asia-Tropical

INDIAN SUBCONTINENT: Bangladesh, India (n.), Nepal
PAPUASIA: Indonesia [Papua], Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands
INDO-CHINA: Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam
MALESIA: Indonesia [Jawa, Kalimantan, Lesser Sunda Islands, Maluku, Sulawesi, Sumatera], Malaysia, Philippines [Luzon, Mindanao], Singapore

Australasia

AUSTRALIA: Australia [Queensland (n.e.), Western Australia (n.e.), Northern Territory]

Reference(s)

Aubréville, A. et al., eds. 1960-. Flore du Cambodge du Laos et du Viet-Nam.
Cooper, W. E. & H. J. de Boer. 2011. A taxonomic revision of Trichosanthes L. (Cucurbitaceae) in Australia, including one new species from the Northern Territory. Austrobaileya 8:371-375.
Hara, H. et al. 1978-1982. An enumeration of the flowering plants of Nepal.
Iwatsuki, K. et al. 1993-. Flora of Japan.
Jeffrey, C. 1980. Further notes on Cucurbitaceae: V. The Cucurbitaceae of the Indian subcontinent. Kew Bull. 34:798.
Smitinand, T. & K. Larsen, eds. 1970-. Flora of Thailand.
Steenis, C. G. G. J. van, ed. 1948-. Flora malesiana.
Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).

Economic Uses

Usage	Type	Note	Reference
Human food	fruit	as Trichosanthes ovigera	Padua, L. S. de et al., eds. 1999. Medicinal and poisonous plants 1. In: Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds., Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA) 12(1):489. Note: as Trichosanthes ovigera
Human food	starch	as Trichosanthes ovigera	Padua, L. S. de et al., eds. 1999. Medicinal and poisonous plants 1. In: Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds., Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA) 12(1):489. Note: as Trichosanthes ovigera
Medicines	folklore	as Trichosanthes ovigera	Padua, L. S. de et al., eds. 1999. Medicinal and poisonous plants 1. In: Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds., Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA) 12(1):489. Note: as Trichosanthes ovigera

Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2026. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
URL: https://npgstest.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=470289. Accessed 15 April 2026.