Trichosanthes pentaphylla
Species of flowering plant
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Trichosanthes pentaphylla, commonly known as red gourd, is a species of plants in the family Cucurbitaceae found only in coastal northeast Queensland, Australia. It is a tendril climber up to 15 m (49 ft) long and 4 cm (1.6 in) stem diameter. The leaves are palmately divided with 3–5 leaflets, carried on a petiole up to 7 cm (2.8 in) long. The species is dioecious, meaning that male and female flowers are borne on separate plants; both are white with fringed petals and about 4 cm (1.6 in) diameter. The fruit is bright red, ovoid, and about 7 cm (2.8 in) long by 5 cm (2.0 in) wide. The plant was first described in 1867 by English botanist George Bentham.[4][5][6]
| Red gourd | |
|---|---|
| |
| Ripe fruit | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Embryophytes |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Spermatophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Cucurbitales |
| Family: | Cucurbitaceae |
| Genus: | Trichosanthes |
| Species: | T. pentaphylla |
| Binomial name | |
| Trichosanthes pentaphylla | |
Conservation
This species is listed as least concern under the Queensland Government's Nature Conservation Act.[1] As of 9 January 2025[update], it has not been assessed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
