Kukurbit / South Asian Olax
Olax imbricata
- Habit
- Liana
- Found in India
- Maharashtra, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Karnataka & more
- Flowering
- December-June
How to identify Kukurbit
Identify Kukurbit by combining habit, leaf characters, flower or fruit details, location, and its family pattern. Do not rely on one feature alone.
- Look for a liana habit.
- Check the distinctive field mark: Overlapping (imbricate) bracts.
- In season, compare flowering and fruiting time: December-June.
- In India, compare location records such as Maharashtra, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh and nearby regions.
- Confirm it sits within the Olacaceae family pattern, then compare close relatives before deciding it is Kukurbit.
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Olax imbricata
- Genus
- Olax
- Family
- Olacaceae
- Habit
- Liana
- Habitat
- Evergreen, semi-evergreen, moist deciduous and shola forests
- Habitat type
- Forest
- Distribution
- India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Indo-China, Thailand, SW. China, Taiwan, Malesia through New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Micronesia
- Found in India
- Maharashtra, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu
- Flowering & fruiting
- December-June
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Local Names
- Kannada
- ಗೋಪುರಕಾಯಿ Gopurakaayi, ಸರಳಿಬಳ್ಳಿ Saraliballi
- Malayalam
- മന്നൻകോരൻ കൊടി Mannankoran-Kodi
- Marathi
- कुकुर्बिट Kukurbit
About Kukurbit
A member of the Olacaceae family, South Asian Olax (Olax imbricata) is a woody climber. In India it has been recorded in Maharashtra, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Karnataka and 2 other states. It grows in evergreen, semi-evergreen, moist deciduous and shola forests. Flowering and fruiting run from December to June.
Olacaceae
Olax Family
Kukurbit belongs to the Olacaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
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Common plant problems
If you are starting from symptoms instead of a diagnosis, use the plant disease symptom checker to narrow the cause before treating.
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