Botanical name: Kedrostis foetidissima    Family: Cucurbitaceae (Pumpkin family)
Synonyms: Melothria foetidissima, Trichosanthes foetidissima

Stinking Kedrostis is a perennial plant, producing annual stems which are climbing, not spreading. Leaves are stalked, shortly velvety or rough, ovate, 2-4 cm long and as broad. Base is deeply notched, tip pointed, margin entire, wavy or toothed, tendril threadlike. Male flowers are usually borne in pairs, 0.5-1.5 cm long. Calyx tube is hemispherical, shortly and sparsely hairly, about 2 mm long, teeth narrowly triangular. Petals are yellow, oblong lanceshaped, pointed, about 4 mm long. Female inflorescence is 1-7 mm long. Fruit is deep red, ovoid, stalkless or nearly so, 1.0-2.5 x 0.8-1.2 cm, 1-5 seeded. The edible portions of the plant such as tubers, rhizome, and stem, are consumed by tribal people. Stinking Kedrostis is found in India, Bangladesh, Burma, Pakistan and Tropical E. Africa.
Medicinal uses: As an ethnomedical plant, it can be used for treating aliments, common cold, diarrhea, and measles. The phytochemical analysis of petroleum ether extract of leaf and chloroform extract of stem revealed the presence of flavonoids, triterpenoids, phenols, steroids, and glycosides as reported in the literature.

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The flower labeled Stinking Kedrostis is ...