Momordica charantia
Content
Description
Slender climber 2(-4) m long, annual, sparsely to densely hairy, partly glabrescent;
Leaves:
Flowers solitary, ± hairy;
Fruit ripening orange, (ovoid-)ellipsoid or narrowly ellipsoid, narrowed at the ends, at apex usually rostrate, 2-11(-40, cultivated) cm long, 2-4(-6) cm wide, soft, sharp or blunt tuberculate in 6-10 ridges, and usually soft spiny in between, splitting incompletely with 3 valves exposing orange-red pulp;
Seeds few (to numerous), pale brown, ± square, compressed, 8-11(-15) by 5-8 mm, sculptured, margin grooved.
Distribution
America present, Asia-Tropical, Australasia, Pacific present, South, East, and SE Asia present, tropical and subtropical Africa present
Tropical and subtropical Africa and South, East, and SE Asia, to Australia and the Pacific; also common in America where introduced; in Malesia throughout.
Taxonomy
In the treatment of De Wilde & Duyfjes (2008), M. charantia was divided into two forms, viz. forma charantia, the cultivated form, and forma abbreviata (Ser.) W.J.de Wilde & Duyfjes, the wild form.
Citation
H.Schaefer, Heibl & S.S.Renner 2009 – In: Proc. Roy. Soc. London: 843
I.Telford 1982 – In: Fl. Austr.: 167
M.E.C.Reyes, Gildemacher & G.J.Jansen 1994 – In: PROSEA: 207
L. 2008 – In: Fl. Thailand: 464
L. – In: Sandakania: 72
Craib 1931 – In: Fl. Siam.: 757
Keraudren 1975 – In: Aubrév. & J.-F.Leroy, Fl. Cambodge, Laos & Vietnam 15: 42
Cogn. 1881 – In: A.DC. & C.DC., Monogr. Phan. 3: 436
W.J.de Wilde & Duyfjes 2002 – In: Bot. Zhurn. (Moscow & St. Petersburg): 135
Backer 1964 – In: Backer & Bakh.f., Fl. Java 1: 299