The botanical name of the calabash tree is crescentia cujete while the general name is bottle gourd, white–flowered gourd, long melon, birdhouse gourd, New Guinea bean and tasmania bean. The tree may flower and bear fruits during any season of the year. It has salt tolerance and is surrounded by a whitish pulp and dark brown seeds.
The fruit turns brown when it is dried. The flowers of the fruit are light green and purple streak and has five petals which are fused in funnel shape. They grow from the main trunk and limbs and the fruits grow in different original shapes.
The fruits (calabash) are pollinated by bats and they develop from the trunk of the tree. The seeds of the fruit are flat, small and are embedded in the pulp. It is a vine grown for its fruit. It can be either harvested young to consume as a vegetable, or harvested when matured.
The flowers of the calabash tree blooms in the evening and emit a slight odour. The flowers close and wither away by noon-time. Bats pollinate the tree when they blossom at night. The bark of the tree is an excellent growing place for orchids.The hard fact about this calabash fruit is that those pregnant should not use it since it has been traditionally used to induce labour.
Calabash tree has several benefits, some of which are medicinal, commercial, health and decorations etc. Dried shell of the fruit (calabash) is used to make ornaments and musical instruments of different shapes and sizes. It is used as a disguised by hunters with the two eyes cut on it so that the ground floated on top of the water and the guard – like fruits can also be used as hats by hunters during earlier times. Horses help to disperse the seeds in their dung after eating the pulpy fruit. The calabash (fruit) can be decorated with paintings and carvings and used to make cups, dishes and containers. Calabash pods are used as bird feeders or nest boxes as well.
Spiritually, the calabash is a traditional magic pot that represents the comic womb. Inside it, we add ingredients to direct our intentions to that which we want to “birth to life”. The leaves of the calabash tree are used to reduce blood pressure. The pulp of the fruit has medicinal properties and acts as a remedy for respiratory problems such as asthma and cough. It contains hydrocyanic acid which is considered as a purgative.
Syrup prepared from the pulp is used as a medicine for relieving disorders of the chest or respiratory tract and also the cure for dysentery and stomach aches. The decoction of the tree bark is used to clean wounds and also to treat hematomas and tumors. The benefits of Calabash tree cannot be overemphasized, thus the need to continue its production and preservation in order for humanity to continue to enjoy its benefits.
Sidi Mamman Maryam and Elusola Olayiwola are staff of the National Museum headquarters, Abuja.
