Global InformationTelfairia occidentalis information
| Telfairia occidentalis | |
|---|---|
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| Telfairia occidentalis, illustrated by Joseph Dalton Hooker, 1877 | |
Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Cucurbitales |
| Family: | Cucurbitaceae |
| Genus: | Telfairia |
| Species: | T. occidentalis
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| Binomial name | |
| Telfairia occidentalis Hook.f.
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Telfairia occidentalis is a tropical vine grown in West Africa as a leaf vegetable and for its edible seeds. Common names for the plant include fluted gourd, fluted pumpkin, ugu (in the Igbo language), okwukwo-wiri (in Ikwerre language), and ikong-ubong (in the Efik and Ibibio languages), "Akwukwor ri" (in Etche language). T. occidentalis is a member of the family Cucurbitaceae and is indigenous to southern Nigeria.[1] The fluted gourd grows in many nations of West Africa, but is mainly cultivated in southeastern Nigeria and it is used primarily in soups and herbal medicines.[2] Although the fruit is inedible[citation needed], the seeds produced by the gourd are high in protein and fat, and can, therefore, contribute to a well-balanced diet. The plant is a drought-tolerant, dioecious perennial that is usually grown trellised.
T. occidentalis is traditionally used by an estimated 30 to 35 million people in Nigeria, including the Efik, Ibibio, Ikwerre, and Urhobo ethnic groups.[1] However, it is predominantly used by the Igbo ethnic group, who continue to cultivate the gourd for food sources and traditional medicines.[3] A recurring subject in the Igbo’s folklore, the fluted gourd is noted to have healing properties and was used as a blood tonic, to be administered to the weak or ill.[1] It is endemic to southern Nigeria, and was an asset to international food trades of the Igbo ethnic group.[1]
- ^ a b c d Akoroda, M. O. "Ethnobotany of Telfairia occidentalis (Curcurbitacae) among Igbos of Nigeria." Economic Botany (1990): 29-39. JSTOR 4255209
- ^ Nwanna, Esther Emem, et al. "Antioxidant and Hepatoprotective Properties of Telfairia occidentalis Leaf (Fluted Pumpkin)." Thesis and Dissertations (Biochemistry) (2008): n. pag. <"DSpace at My Futa: ANTIOXIDANT AND HEPATOPROTECTIVE PROPERTIES OF TELFAIRIA OCCIDENTALIS LEAF (FLUTED PUMPKIN)". Archived from the original on 2013-12-06. Retrieved 2013-12-06.>
- ^ Okoli, Bosa E., and C. M. Mgbeogu. "Fluted Pumpkin, Telfairia occidentalis: West African Vegetable Crop." School of Biological Sciences, University of Port-Harcourt 37.2 (1983): 145-49. Springer.