Bitter-apple
StarCitrullus colocynthis
Synonyms: Colocynthis officinalis, Colocynthis vulgaris, Cucumis colocynthis, Citrullus colocynthis var. bipinnatifidus, Citrullus colocynthis var. officinalis, Citrullus colocynthoides, Citrullus colocynthis var. wenderothii, Citrullus pseudocolocynthis, Citrullus colocynthis var. indicus, Cucumis bipinnatifidus, Cucumis colocynthoides, Citrullus colocynthis subsp. insipidus, Citrullus colocynthis var. insipidus, Cucurbita colocyntha, Citrullus colocynthis subsp. stenotomus, Citrullus colocynthis var. stenotomus
Western Herbalism Properties
Traditional Uses
WARNING: highly toxic (cucurbitacins) - drastic and dangerous in even small doses. Citrullus colocynthis is one of the most ancient and widely used purgative drugs of the Old World. In classical and European herbal medicine the dried fruit pulp was a famous drastic cathartic and was incorporated into compound purgative pills (Grieve, 1931). In the Unani and Ayurvedic traditions the fruit (indrayan) is used, with great caution, for constipation, jaundice, and as a remedy reputed to help "sugar disease" (diabetes), as well as topically for joint pain (Khare, 2007). It is similarly recorded in traditional Chinese materia medica. The seeds and root also have folk applications. Internal use can cause severe gastroenteritis, bloody diarrhoea, kidney damage and death, and the plant is regarded as a dangerous poison.
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Botanical Description
Citrullus colocynthis (bitter apple, colocynth, bitter cucumber) is a perennial trailing or climbing herb of the gourd family, with rough, angular vines arising from a large fleshy perennial rootstock and bearing branched tendrils. The leaves are deeply three- to seven-lobed, rough-hairy and triangular in outline, pale beneath. The solitary yellow flowers are unisexual. The fruit is a smooth, hard-rinded gourd about the size of an orange (5-10 cm), mottled green ripening to yellow, with extraordinarily bitter, spongy white pulp containing many flat, smooth seeds. It is native to the deserts and dry sandy soils of North Africa, the Mediterranean basin, the Middle East and across to India, and is widely distributed in arid regions.
This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any herbal remedy, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medications.
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