Benincasa hispida (white gourd, "Togan")

Japanese name: トウガン （冬瓜）
Scientific name: Benincasa hispida

[Overview]
A climbing annual with tendrils.
Both stems and leaves are densely covered with white hairs.
The leaves are simple and alternate, heart-shaped to ovate with deep cuts, and have toothed serrations on the margins.
The flowers are solitary in the leaf axils, with separate male and female flowers.
Both male and female flowers are yellow, 7–8 cm across, and the sepals are reflexed.
The fruit is very large, 30–80 cm long and 3–10 kg in weight, round to oblong; it has coarse hairs while young, but the hairs disappear as it matures and it becomes covered with a white waxy powder.
The flesh is white, and about 95% of the fruit is water.

[History]
It is said to be native to tropical Asia or India, and entered China from the south around the 3rd century.
It reached Europe in the 16th century but hardly spread there.
It came to Japan in ancient times and is recorded in the Honzo Wamyo (918).

[Uses]
The fruit is eaten.
Because its flavor is mild, it is used as an ingredient in clear soups and in dishes with a thick starchy sauce.
It keeps well: if harvested in summer and left in a cool place, it can be stored until the following spring.

[Cultivation]
It prefers a well-drained, sunny place and dislikes dryness.
Once the fruit begins to grow large, take care not to let the plant run out of fertilizer.
Pests and diseases include powdery mildew, aphids and spider mites, which occur more easily when the plant becomes stuffy in hot weather.

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