Trichosanthes pedata Merr. & Chun

De Wilde, Willem J. J. O. & Duyfjes, Brigitta E. E., 2012, Keys to and checklist of species of the genus Trichosanthes L. (Cucurbitaceae) in Indochina, Adansonia (3) 34 (2), pp. 265-278 : 272

11. Trichosanthes pedata Merr. & Chun

Sunyatsenia 2 (1): 20 (1934); Keraudren-Aymonin, Flore du Cambodge, du Laos et du Viêtnam 15: 91 (1975); S.K.Chen, Flora Yunnanica 6: 361 (1995); Huang & Jeffrey in Lu & Jeffrey, Flora of China, http://efloras.org: species no. 27 (2011) (including var. yunnanensis C.Y.Cheng & C.H.Yueh ); W.J.deWilde, Duyfjes,Phonsena & R.W.Ham, Thai Forest Bulletin.Botany 39:17, fig.6: d-f (2011).— Type: China (Kwantung), Tso 23625 (holo-, NY, photo seen).? Trichosanthes quinquefolia Wu in Yueh & Cheng, Acta

Phytotaxonomica Sinica 18 (3): 351 (1980). — Type:

China (Yunnan), Wang 75810 (holo-, KUN, not seen). Trichosanthes wawrae auct. non Cogn.: Duyfjes & Pruesapan ,

Thai Forest Bulletin. Botany 32: 103, p.p. (2004); W.J.de

Wilde & Duyfjes, Flora of Thailand 9 (4): 539, p.p. (2008a). DISTRIBUTION. — S China, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam.

REMARK ON SYSTEMATICS

Advanced knowledge of the foliolate-leaved Trichosanthes species in Thailand, through more collections and field study, made it clear that the Thai material (except that from Peninsular Thailand) belongs to the present species. The difference with T. wawrae is in the size of the fruit, and particularly in the size of the seeds. The fruit in T. wawrae is c. 7 cm long, with seeds 15-17 by 10-11 mm; in T. pedata the fruit is 5-6 cm long, with narrower seeds, 10-12 by c. 8 mm. Possibly T. pedata , as at present accepted, includes the much resembling T. quinquefolia described from China (Wu in Yueh & Cheng 1980), which is distinct by (almost) entire leaflet margins. Such specimens are also known from Laos, but we suspect that one species only is concerned.