Herb: Red Hailstone


Latin name: Thladiantha dubia


Family: Cucurbitaceae (Cucumber Family, Gourd Family)



Medicinal use of Red Hailstone:

The seed is a cardiac tonic and an astringent. The root is alterative, cholagogue, diuretic and galactogogue.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Perennial Climber


Height:
2 m
(6 1/2 foot)

Flowering:
July to
August

Habitat of the herb:

Riparian meadows and sandy coasts.

Edible parts of Red Hailstone:

Fruit - raw or cooked. Succulent. The oblong fruit is about 4cm long and 2.5cm wide. Young plant - cooked. Root. No further details are given.

Propagation of the herb:

Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots of fairly rich soil and plant them out after the last expected frosts. Division of tubers in spring or autumn. The tubers can be harvested in the autumn and stored in a cool frost-free place overwinter then planted out in the spring.

Cultivation of Red Hailstone:

Riparian meadows and sandy coasts.

Known hazards of Thladiantha dubia:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.