Classical categorization :- Valli phala (B.P)

Latin Name:- Benincasa hispida. Family Name:- Cucurbitaceae.-sf]zftsL

s'n _ Sanskrit Name:- Kushmand, brihatphal,

pishpa phal, valliphala, pitt-pushpa. Nepali Name:- s'le08f] English Name:- white gourd melon,

pumpkin.

Benincasa hispida-s"idf08_

It is a climber , stem branched. Leaves 5-20 cm long, deeply cordate; petioles hirsute; margin sinuate, dentate.Flowers yellow, unisexual, male penduncle 7.5-10 cm long, female penduncle shorter. Fruits broadly cylindric 30-45 cm long, fleshy, hairy when young, covered with a waxy bloom when mature. Seeds compressed ovoid, yellowish white.

Fowering & Fruiting during june to oct.

Botanical description:-

Cultivated ,east to west.

Major chemical constituents:- Fruits contain amino acid, proteinase, vit-B,

vit-C, glucose, mannitol, n-triacontanol; B-sitosterol, lupeol.

Seeds contain aractidic, linolenic, oleic, palmitic acids, cucurbitacin B, B-sitosterol. Etc.

Distribution in Nepal:-

Guna: Laghu,snigdha. Rasa: madhur. Vipak: madhur. Virya: sitt. Pravab: medhya. Riped kushmand is alkaline, laghu.

Ayurvedic Pharmacology of Kushmand(Guna):-

Effect on Doshas : - Vatt-pitt samak, ripen kushmand is tridosh-har.

Systemic: External: santamp har, dah-prasaman. Internal: NS: Medhya, mastishk & nadi balpradayak, mastishk samak,

nidrajanan. DS: anuloman, trishna-nigrahan, seeds are krimghna.(tape

worms) CS: hridya, raktpitt samak, sonit-sthapan. RS: phuphush balpradayak, kshya nasak. US: Mutrajanan, ripen fruit is basti-sodhan. Rep.S: Brishya. Skin & tem: dah & santap har. Sutability: balya, brinhan.

Actions (Karma)

It is used in mainly mental diseases as mastishk daurbalya, unmad, apasmar, anidra, vram & raktt-pitt, rakta-pradar, raktarsh, urhakshat, kshaya, mutraghat,mutrakrichhra, & aruchi .

Useful in constipation & anidra if taken in heavy dose.

Fruit juice is useful in mercury poisioning.

Indication/Uses:-

Unmad:- kushmand juice is taken with kuth, honey is effective.(San.)

Apasmar: ghee prepared with kushmand juice & madhuyasti.(A.H.Ut-7)

Mutrakrichhra: juice of kushmand shall be taken with sugar.(H.S.)

Classical therapeutic uses:-

Dosage:- Fruit 10-20 gm Seed powder 3-6gm Seed oil 5-10ml

Important preparation:- Kushmandkhand, kushmandgudkalyanak, kushmandghrit, kushmandawaleha.

Parts used:- Fruit, seed, seed oil.