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Indrayan
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Indrayan
ative Photo: Narendra Joshi
Common name: Indrayan • Assamese: ইন্দ্ৰায়ণ indrayan, কোৱাভাতুৰী kowabhaturi, মহাকাল mahakal • Bengali: মাকাল makal, লাল ইন্দ্রায়ন lal indrayan • Gujarati: મહાકાલ mahakal, રાતા ઇંદ્રાયણ rata indrayan • Hindi: लाल इंद्रायन lal indrayan, इन्द्रावन indravan, महाकाल mahakal • Kannada: ಅವಗೂದೆ Avagoode ಕಾಗೆಮೋರೆ Kaagemore, ಕಾಗೆಮಾರೆ ಬಳ್ಳಿ Kagemare balli, ಕಾಕಿಮಂಡಲಿ Kakimandali • Khasi: u-soh-lyn-shang • Konkani: कौंडळ koundal, मुकाल mukal • Malayalam: കയ്പ്പന്‍ പടവലം kayppan padavalam • Marathi: कवंडळ kavandal, मुकाल mukal • Mizo: choâka ûm, vânkhaûm • Nepali: इन्द्रेणी indrenee • Odia: କିମ୍ପାକ kimpaka, ମହାକାଳ mahakala, ମହେନ୍ଦ୍ର ବାରୁଣୀ mahendra baruni, ମକିର୍ଲା makirla, ସୌମ୍ଯା saumya, ଶଲରା salara • Sanskrit: आत्मरक्षा atmaraksha, किम्पाक kimpaka, महाकाल mahakala, वेग vega • Tamil: குறட்டை kurattai • Telugu: అవ్వపండు avvapandu, కాకిదొండ kakidonda • Tulu: ಕಾಕ್ಕೆಮನೊಳಿ kakkemanoli, ಕಾಕ್ಕತೊಂಡಿ kakkathondi • Mizo: Choaka-um Source: Names of Plants in India
Botanical name: Trichosanthes bracteata    Family: Cucurbitaceae (Pumpkin family)
Synonyms: Trichosanthes palmata, Trichosanthes hupehensis, Modecca bracteata

Indrayan is a large climber, 5-20 m long. It has strong, woody and grooved stem, with trailing branches. Tendrils are divided into 2-3 parts. Leaves, 6-12 cm across, are broadly heart-shaped, but palmately 3-5 lobed. The leaf margin is toothed. Flowers occur either singly or in 5-10 flowered racemes, in leaf axils. Sepal cup is tubular, 3-4 cm long. Flowers 4-5 cm, white, with 5 wedge-shaped petals with frilly margins. Fruit is spherical, 4-5 cm across, red when ripe, streaked with 10 orange streaks. Flowering: May-April.

Identification credit: Sautik Ghoshal, Narendra Joshi Photographed at Mahabaleshwar, Maharashtra.

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