Scientific Name: Citrullus colocynthis (L.) Schrad.

Arabic name(s): الْحَنْظَل

English name(s): Bitter gourd / Colocynth

Growth form: Colocynth is a perennial, procumbent herb.

Order: Cucurbitales

Family: Cucurbitaceae

Genus: Citrullus Schrad. ex Eckl. & Zeyh.

Species: Citrullus colocynthis (L.) Schrad.

Citation in the Quran:

The plant is not mentioned in the Holy Qur’an.

Citation in the Hadit:

Narrated by Abu Musa: The Prophet said, “And the example of a hypocrite who does not recite the Quran is like a colocynth which tastes bitter and has a bad smell.” Sahih Al Bukhari, book of food.

Habitat & Distribution:

Colocynth grows in desert areas especially in the Arabian Peninsula.