Chayote
Sicyos edulis
- Found in India
- Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal & more
How to identify Chayote
Identify Chayote by combining habit, leaf characters, flower or fruit details, location, and its family pattern. Do not rely on one feature alone.
- Confirm leaf shape: Cordate.
- Confirm flower colour: White.
- Confirm flower arrangement: Solitary.
- In India, compare location records such as Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Bihar and nearby regions.
- Confirm it sits within the Cucurbitaceae family pattern, then compare close relatives before deciding it is Chayote.
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Sicyos edulis
- Genus
- Sicyos
- Family
- Cucurbitaceae
- Found in India
- Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Bihar, Karnataka, Manipur, Mizoram
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Leaf characters
- Leaf shape
- CordaterecordedHeart-shaped, with a notch at the base.“It has heart-shaped leaves, 10–25 cm (3.9–9.8 in) wide and tendrils on the stem.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Typical of the family
- Arrangement
- Alternate
Characters marked “recorded” are for Chayote itself; the rest are typical of the Cucurbitaceae family.
Flower & fruit characters
- Flower colour
- Whiterecorded
- Flower arrangement
- SolitaryrecordedA single flower borne alone, not in a cluster.“The plant bears male flowers in clusters and solitary female flowers.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Typical of the family
- Flower symmetry
- Actinomorphic (radially symmetrical)
- Inflorescence
- Solitary
- Fruit
- Berry
Characters marked “recorded” are for Chayote itself; the rest are typical of the Cucurbitaceae family — flowering plants only.
Local Names
- Bengali
- স্কোয়াশ
About Chayote
Chayote (Sicyos edulis) belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family. In India it has been recorded in Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and 4 other states.
Uses
In practice it is grown for parts that are eaten and planted as an ornamental.
In culture
It carries a body of folklore around it.
Cucurbitaceae
Cucumber/Gourd family
Chayote belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
Explore the Cucurbitaceae familySnap it. Know it.
Point your camera at Chayote or any plant and SASYA identifies it instantly — on-device, offline, and private.
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.
All plant problem & care guides