Bitter snake-gourd

MEDICINAL PROPERTIES
A large, branched woody tendril climber, older part of stem light gray and younger smooth green, tendrils 2, commonly cleft into 3; leaves palmately 3-5 lobed, dark green above, pale beneath with dark-coloured circular gland scattered along the lower side; flowers unisexual, males in axillary racemes, bracts broadly ovate, many nerved, fringed and gland dotted, female flowers solitary and axillary; fruits globose, red when ripe with 10 orange streaks; seeds numerous, smooth.
The roots are bitter, astringent, acrid, thermogenic, carminativa, emetic and purgative. They are good for hemicrania, carbuncles and gonorrhoea. The fruits are very valuable in curing otitis and also recommended for hemicrania inflammations, weakness of lymphs, vitiated conditions of vata, asthma, epilepsy and leprosy.