{{Short description|Species of flowering plant}} {{Hatnote|For some other vegetable crops that look similar and are used similarly, see ''Cyclanthera pedata'', ''Coccinia grandis'', and ''Melothria scabra''.}} {{Speciesbox |image = Pointed gourd.jpg |image_caption = Gourd |image2 = Trichosanthes dioica.JPG |image2_caption = Gourd plants |genus = Trichosanthes |species = dioica |authority = Roxb.<ref name=POWO>{{BioRef | powo | title = ''Trichosanthes dioica'' | id = 294185-1 | access-date = 24 April 2021}}</ref> |synonyms = {{Species list | Anguina dioica | (Roxb.) Kuntze }} |synonyms_ref = <ref name=POWO/> }} '''''Trichosanthes dioica''''', also known as '''pointed gourd''', is a tropical perennial cucurbit plant with its origin in the Indian subcontinent. The plant propagated vegetatively and grows with training on a support system (e.g., trellis) as pencil-thick vines (creepers) with dark-green cordate (heart-shaped) simple leaves. It is a well-developed dioecious plants having distinct male and female flowers on staminate and pistillate plants, respectively. The fruits are green with white or no stripes' and have unpalatable seeds. Size can vary from small and round to thick and long – {{convert|5-15|cm|in|0|abbr=off}}. It thrives well under a hot to moderately warm and humid climate. The plant remains dormant during the winter season and prefers fertile, well-drained sandy loam soil due to its susceptibility to water-logging.<ref name="Next generation sequencing and tran">{{ cite journal | vauthors = Saurabh S, Prasad D, Masi A, Vidyarthi AS | title = Next generation sequencing and transcriptome analysis for identification of ARF and Aux/IAA in pointed gourd (Trichosanthes dioica Roxb.), a non-model plant | journal = Scientia Horticulturae | volume = 301 | article-number = 111152 | date = April 2022 | doi = 10.1016/j.scienta.2022.111152 | s2cid = 248372356 }}</ref><ref name="In vitro propagation of Trichosanth">{{ cite journal | vauthors = Saurabh S, Prasad D, Vidyarthi AS | title = In vitro propagation of Trichosanthus dioica Roxb. for nutritional security | journal = Journal of Crop Science and Biotechnology | volume = 20 | pages = 81–87 | date = June 2017 | issue = 2 | doi = 10.1007/s12892-016-0059-0 | s2cid = 255839341 }}</ref>
==India== It is widely cultivated in the eastern and some northern parts of India, particularly in Northeastern Andhra, Odisha, Bengal, Assam, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh. It is used as an ingredient for soups, stews, curries, sweets, or eaten fried and as {{Transliteration|te|potoler dorma}} or {{Transliteration|te|dolma}} with fish, roe or meat stuffing. It is called ''parwal'' in Hindustani (Hindi-Urdu) (परवल / پرول).<ref>{{cite web |title=Perwal: a vegetable for cultivation in Sindh |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/273243/perwal-a-vegetable-for-cultivation-in-sindh#:~:text=TRICHOSANTHES%20diocica%20is%20a%20vegetable,belongs%20to%20the%20family%20Cucurbitaceae. |publisher=Dawn |access-date=8 December 2024 |language=en |date=29 October 2007}}</ref>
==Bangladesh== Pointed gourd is known in Bengali as ''patol'' (পটল). It is a vital summer vegetable in Bangladesh. It is cultivated and consumed in almost every district of the country. It is a perennial crop and sold at the end of October when there is a shortage of other alternative vegetables.<ref name=Khatun>{{citation |author=Malek, M., Miah, M. B., AL-Amin, M., Khanam, D., & Khatun, M. |year=2008 |title=''In vitro'' regeneration in pointed gourd |journal=Bangladesh Journal of Agricultural Research |volume=32 |issue=3 |pages=461–471 |doi=10.3329/bjar.v32i3.548}}</ref> The leaves of the plant also called ''Polta Pata'' are often consumed in Bengali cuisine.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Paul |first=Maumita |date=2024-03-17 |title=Polta Patar Borar Shukto |url=https://experiencesofagastronomad.com/polta-patar-borar-shukto/ |access-date=2025-10-25 |website=Experiences of a Gastronomad |language=en-GB}}</ref>
==Nutrients== Most parts of ''T. dioica'' are used in local traditional medicine. The fruit constituents are minerals (magnesium, sodium, potassium, copper, and sulphur), vitamins, tannins, saponins, alkaloids, glycosides, flavonoids, steroids, pentacyclic triterpenes, and other bioactive compounds have proven that the pointed gourd promising.<ref name="Next generation sequencing and tran"/><ref name="In vitro propagation of Trichosanth"/>
Pointed gourd is a good source of vitamins and minerals. It is a good source of carbohydrates, vitamin A, and vitamin C. It also contains major nutrients and trace elements (magnesium, potassium, copper, sulfur, and chlorine) which are needed in small quantities, for playing essential roles in human physiology. 9.0 mg Mg, 2.6 mg Na, 83.0 mg K, 1.1 mg Cu and 17 mg S per 100 g edible part.<ref name=Khatun/>
==In human culture==
The fifteenth-century ''Hatha Yoga Pradipika'' 1.61–65 recommends Parwal as one of the foods suitable for yogins.<ref>{{cite book | last=Bernard | first=Theos | author-link=Theos Bernard | title=Hatha yoga: the report of a personal experience | publisher=Harmony | publication-place=Edinburgh | year=2007 | orig-date=1950 | isbn=978-0-9552412-2-2 | oclc=230987898 | pages=92–93}}</ref>
== Gallery == <gallery class="center"> Longitudinal section of pointed gourd (Trichosanthes dioica).jpg|Longitudinal section of Pointed gourd (Trichosanthes dioica) Pointed gourd (Trichosanthes dioica) seeds.jpg|Pointed gourd (Trichosanthes dioica) matured seeds Stuffed parval (pointed gourd, Trichosanthes dioica).jpg|Cooked stuffed fruit Trichosanthes dioica (fruit).jpg|Pointed gourds (known as "potol") from Bangladesh </gallery>
==See also== *Gourd
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{commons category|Trichosanthes dioica}} *[https://web.archive.org/web/20050413164420/http://www.ag.fvsu.edu/publicat/commoditysheets/fvsu013.htm Article about parwal] from Fort Valley State University College of Agriculture *[https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12892-016-0059-0] {{Taxonbar|from=Q2724295}}
dioica Category:Flora of the Indian subcontinent Category:Flora of Myanmar Category:Fruit vegetables Category:Dioecious plants