Cucurbitaceae · Lagenaria

Lauki / Bottle Gourd

Lagenaria siceraria

Also known as Calbash Gourd

ClimberoutdoorMedicinal
Habit
Climber
Found in India
Maharashtra, Karnataka, Rajasthan & more
Flowering
July-February

Plant Details

Scientific name
Lagenaria siceraria
Genus
Lagenaria
Habit
Climber
Distribution
Tropical regions of the world
Found in India
Maharashtra, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Gujarat, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Mizoram, Uttar Pradesh
Flowering & fruiting
July-February

Leaf characters

Arrangement
Alternate
Simple type leaf character
Type
Simple
Lobed margin leaf character
Margin
Lobed
Palmate venation leaf character
Venation
Palmate

Typical of the Cucurbitaceae family — a field-mark hint, not measured for this exact species.

Flower & fruit characters

Flower colour
Whiterecorded

Typical of the family

Inflorescence
Solitary
Fruit
Berry

Characters marked “recorded” are for Lauki itself; the rest are typical of the Cucurbitaceae family — flowering plants only.

Local Names

Hindi
लौकी Lauki, घिया Ghiya, dudhi
Nepali
लौका
Bengali
Ladu, লাউ
Tamil
சுரைக்காய் Surakkai, சுரைக்காய்
Telugu
Sorakkaya, సొర కాయ, అనపకాయ
Kannada
Sorekayi, ಸೋರೆ
Malayalam
Pechura, ചുരക്ക
Marathi
दूधी Dudhi, दुधी भोपळा
Assamese
জাতি লাউ

About Lauki

Bottle gourd (Lagenaria siceraria) belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family, where it grows as a climber. In India it has been recorded in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Rajasthan and 17 other states. Flowering and fruiting run from July to February.

Uses

Locally it is grown for parts that are eaten. Parts of this plant are reported as poisonous — treat it as unsafe to eat and wash your hands after handling.

Illustration representing the Cucurbitaceae family
Botanical family

Cucurbitaceae

Cucumber/Gourd family

Lauki belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family.

The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.

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Common plant problems

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