Family: Cucurbitaceae

Common Name: दुधी भोपळा

Etymology - Genus: Shaped like a bottle

Etymology - Species: Latinized form of shekar, from the Hebrew meaning strong (fermented) drink

Ecosystem: Annual

Origin: Native

Location: India

Description: Annual climber, grows very rapidly completing its lifecycle with a season. Stem grows thick with sharp hairs. All parts of the plant have foul, musky odour.Simple leaf with a presence of tendril at the leaf node. Tendril coils around the support.Pubescent leaf with palmate round lobes.Male and female flowers appear singly in a leaf axil. Male with long peduncle and female wit short peduncle.Male and female flowers are born on same plant.Flowers are white, with minute hairs on petals. Female flower has a small oblong ovary below the calyx.Fruit is green, oblong, about 1 feet in length on maturity.Many flat seeds are embedded in a white pulp.

Root type: Taproot

Stem Appearance: Climber

Stem Cross Section: Angled

Stem Texture: Green with sharp hair

Root-Stem-Bark Description: Annual climber, grows very rapidly completing its lifecycle with a season. Stem grows thick with sharp hairs. All parts of the plant have foul, musky odour.

Leaf - Characters

Attachment: Petiolate

Stipules: Tendrillar

Leaf Type: Simple

Phyllotaxy: Alternate-Spiral

Leaf Description: Simple leaf with a presence of tendril at the leaf node. Tendril coils around the support.

Leaflet - Characters

Lamina: Palmate

Lamina Bases:

Lamina Margins: Undulate

Lamina Apices: Rounded apice

Lamina Texture: Pubescent

Venation: Reticulate-Unicostate

Leaflet Description: Pubescent leaf with palmate round lobes.

Fruit type: Berry

Fruit type Description: Fruit is green, oblong, about 1 feet in length on maturity.

Seed Type: Dicotyledon

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Seed Description: Many flat seeds are embedded in a white pulp.