Scientific Name :Cucurbita pepo Vernacular Name :Ibihaza ( courge), pumpkin Family name :Cucurbitaceae Geographic Distribution :cultivated species everywhere in Rwanda.
Botanical Description Cucurbita pepo Cucurbitaceae till 10 m long. Hirsute stems, grooved, cordate leaves, lobed. Unisexual till 10 cm wide, with thw calyx joined to the corolla, the male ones having the stamens connected into a column. Very variable fruits.
Medicinal Use : In Rwanda, the roasted seeds are used to cure intestinal worms.
a)- Vermifuge and taenifuge : to get rid off intestinal parasites, such as pinworms and, for a long time, widely used to extract taenias or tapeworms from the human body ( in the first case, it is advised to eat peeled seeds in the desired amount in the second case, it is recommended to do the following procedure: smash 50 g of fresh seeds; mix them with sugar or honey.
Eat the mixture as the only food for a day in the main meals. After some hours, try to make a deposition and see if the parasite has been expelled.On the contrary this process can be repeated on another occasion.
b) fever “ The decoction of leaves of pumpkin reduce fever. (Boil a handful and half of pumpkin leaves per liter of water for ten minutes. Let stand for half an hour. Take for cups a day).
c) Laxative,
d) Anti-prostatic: Recent studies seem to suggest it is very effective, when combined with the lipophilic extract of the palm “serenoa repens ” for the treatment of benign prostate hyperplasia.e) Enuresis : Pumpkin seeds have a slightly diuretic function, helping to increase urine production, while they are sedated.
f) Emollient to soften the skin dryness or roughness, pimples, spots, freckles,etc. ( apply a facepack made with the pulp of this fruit.g) Burns Apply the previos treatment on a burn you favor its healing.
f) Due to its poor caloric contents, it can treat obesity and constipation.immunity, Cardiovascular system and the body in general.
Other Use The fruits and the leaves are edibles.
