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Benincasa hispida

Authority	(Thunb.) Cogn.
Family	Magnoliopsida:Dilleniidae:Violales:Cucurbitaceae
Synonyms	Benincasa cerifera Savi
Common names	Chinese moqua, Chinese preserving melon, Chinese squash, Chinese vegetable marrow, Chinese winter melon, fuzzy melon, hairy melon, moqua, wax gourd, winter gourd, zit-kwa
Editor
Ecocrop code	513

Notes
BRIEF DESCRIPTION A robust, climbing herbaceous plant up to several m long with a thick stem, 10-20 cm long leaves, and a large, 20-60 or 200 x 10-25 cm, ovoid-oblong, ellpsoid or globose and dark green fruit. USES The immature as well as mature fruits can be stuffed and steamed or chopped into small blocks and used in soups or candied with sugar. Young shoots, leaves and flowers are used as vegetables. The seeds can be fried and used as a snack and they also yield oil. The fruit has medicinal properties. GROWING PERIOD Annual herb, fruits may be harvsted 80-160 days from sowing. COMMON NAMES Wax gourd, White gourd, Hairy wax gourd, Tallow gourd, Chinese watermelon, Chinese preserving melon, Ash gourd, Calebassier, Courge cireuse, Courge a la cire, Kurdur, Bligo, Calabaza China, Chaul kumra, Kohala, Petha, Fak kio, Kundo, Kundor, Kondol, Kundur, Bleego, Kyauk-hpayon, Togwa, Tung kua, Tibiayon, Rodal, Trallaach, Tonx, Fak, Faeng, Mafaeng. FURTHER INF Scientific synonym: B. cerrifera. Cucurbita hipida. Wax gourd is in the tropics found at elevations below 1500 m. Excessive rain may reduce yields but the water requirements are still fairly high especially in the early stages of development. The development of female flowers is stimulated by short daylengths and relative cool weather conditions, while male flower production is encouraged by high temperatures and long days. Yields up to 20 t/ha are obtained in northern India and individual fruits may weigh from 5-45 kg at maturity. Average yield in Taiwan is 40 t/ha and optimum 50 t/ha. Photosynthesis pathway C3.
Sources
SOURCES (B. hispida (Thunberg ex Murray) Cogniaux) Hartmann T 1983 pp 147 Duke J 1975 pp 8 [PH, RAIN, TEMP] Rice R 1990 pp 261-263 [TEMP, RAIN, TEXT, FER, PH] Roecklein J 1987 pp 506 [USE] Purseglove J 1974 pp 101 [USE, RAIN] National AS 1975 pp 53 Tindall H 1983 pp 147-149 [TEMP, RAIN, TEXT, FER, PHO] Yu-Chi Roan 1995 (pers. comm.) Siemonsma J 1993 pp 95-97 [RAIN, DRA, TEXT, PH, PHO]