Taxon:
Momordica charantia L.
Summary
Place of publication:
Sp. pl. 2:1009. 1753
Verified:
05/28/2009
ARS Systematic Botanists.
Autonyms (not in current use), synonyms and invalid designations
Reference(s)
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- Holm, L. et al. World weeds: natural histories and distribution. 1997 Note: John Wiley & Sons, New York
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- Lampe, K. F. & M. A. McCann. AMA handbook of poisonous and injurious plants. 1985 Note: poisonous
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- León (J. S. Sauget) & Alain (E. E. Liogier). Flora de Cuba. 1946-1962; suppl. 1969
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Common names
English
balsam-apple – balsam-pear – bitter gourd – bitter-cucumber – bitter-melon – carilla gourd – French
concombre africain – margose – momordique – paroka – German
amerikanische Bittergurke – Balsambirne – Bittergurke – India
karela – Indonesian
paria – Malay
peria – Spanish
bálsamo – balsamito – cundeamor – Swedish
bittergurka – Transcribed Chinese
ku gua – Transcribed Korean
yeoju –
Distribution
order_code | Status | Continent | Subcontinent | Country | State | Note |
1 | Native | Africa | East Tropical Africa | Kenya | | |
1 | Native | Africa | East Tropical Africa | Tanzania | | |
1 | Native | Africa | East Tropical Africa | Uganda | | |
1 | Native | Africa | South Tropical Africa | Angola | | |
1 | Native | Africa | South Tropical Africa | Malawi | | |
1 | Native | Africa | South Tropical Africa | Mozambique | | |
1 | Native | Africa | South Tropical Africa | Zambia | | |
1 | Native | Africa | South Tropical Africa | Zimbabwe | | |
1 | Native | Africa | West Tropical Africa | Benin | | |
1 | Native | Africa | West Tropical Africa | Côte D'Ivoire | | |
1 | Native | Africa | West Tropical Africa | Gambia | | |
1 | Native | Africa | West Tropical Africa | Ghana | | |
1 | Native | Africa | West Tropical Africa | Liberia | | |
1 | Native | Africa | West Tropical Africa | Mali | | |
1 | Native | Africa | West Tropical Africa | Nigeria | | |
1 | Native | Africa | West Tropical Africa | Senegal | | |
1 | Native | Africa | West Tropical Africa | Sierra Leone | | |
1 | Native | Africa | West-Central Tropical Africa | Burundi | | |
1 | Native | Africa | West-Central Tropical Africa | Cameroon | | |
1 | Native | Africa | West-Central Tropical Africa | Gabon | | |
1 | Native | Africa | West-Central Tropical Africa | Rwanda | | |
1 | Native | Africa | West-Central Tropical Africa | Zaire | | |
1 | Native | Africa | Western Indian Ocean | Madagascar | | |
1 | Native | Asia-Tropical | Indian Subcontinent | India | | |
1 | Native | Asia-Tropical | Indian Subcontinent | Nepal | | |
1 | Native | Asia-Tropical | Indian Subcontinent | Pakistan | | |
1 | Native | Asia-Tropical | Indian Subcontinent | Sri Lanka | | |
1 | Native | Asia-Tropical | Indo-China | Cambodia | | |
1 | Native | Asia-Tropical | Indo-China | Thailand | | |
1 | Native | Asia-Tropical | Indo-China | Vietnam | | |
1 | Native | Asia-Tropical | Malesia | Indonesia | | |
1 | Native | Asia-Tropical | Malesia | Malaysia | | |
1 | Native | Asia-Tropical | Malesia | Papua New Guinea | | |
1 | Native | Asia-Tropical | Malesia | Philippines | | |
1 | Native | Australasia | Australia | Australia | Queensland | |
1 | Native | Pacific | South-Central Pacific | French Polynesia | | |
1 | Native | Pacific | Southwestern Pacific | Fiji | | |
2 | Cultivated | | | | | widely cult. |
4 | Naturalized | Northern America | | Mexico | | |
4 | Naturalized | Northern America | South-Central U.S.A. | United States | Texas | s.e. |
4 | Naturalized | Northern America | Southeastern U.S.A. | United States | Florida | |
4 | Naturalized | Northern America | Southeastern U.S.A. | United States | Louisiana | |
4 | Naturalized | Pacific | North-Central Pacific | United States | Hawaii | |
4 | Naturalized | Southern America | Brazil | Brazil | | |
4 | Naturalized | Southern America | Caribbean | Bahamas | | |
4 | Naturalized | Southern America | Caribbean | Barbados | | |
4 | Naturalized | Southern America | Caribbean | Cayman Islands | | |
4 | Naturalized | Southern America | Caribbean | Cuba | | |
4 | Naturalized | Southern America | Caribbean | Dominica | | |
4 | Naturalized | Southern America | Caribbean | Dominican Republic | | |
4 | Naturalized | Southern America | Caribbean | Grenada | | |
4 | Naturalized | Southern America | Caribbean | Guadeloupe | | |
4 | Naturalized | Southern America | Caribbean | Haiti | | |
4 | Naturalized | Southern America | Caribbean | Jamaica | | |
4 | Naturalized | Southern America | Caribbean | Martinique | | |
4 | Naturalized | Southern America | Caribbean | Montserrat | | |
4 | Naturalized | Southern America | Caribbean | Netherlands Antilles | | |
4 | Naturalized | Southern America | Caribbean | Puerto Rico | | |
4 | Naturalized | Southern America | Caribbean | St. Kitts and Nevis | | |
4 | Naturalized | Southern America | Caribbean | St. Lucia | | |
4 | Naturalized | Southern America | Caribbean | St. Vincent and Grenadines | | |
4 | Naturalized | Southern America | Caribbean | Virgin Islands (British) | | |
4 | Naturalized | Southern America | Caribbean | Virgin Islands (U.S.) | | |
4 | Naturalized | Southern America | Mesoamerica | Belize | | |
4 | Naturalized | Southern America | Mesoamerica | Costa Rica | | |
4 | Naturalized | Southern America | Mesoamerica | El Salvador | | |
4 | Naturalized | Southern America | Mesoamerica | Guatemala | | |
4 | Naturalized | Southern America | Mesoamerica | Honduras | | |
4 | Naturalized | Southern America | Mesoamerica | Nicaragua | | |
4 | Naturalized | Southern America | Mesoamerica | Panama | | |
4 | Naturalized | Southern America | Northern South America | French Guiana | | |
4 | Naturalized | Southern America | Northern South America | Guyana | | |
4 | Naturalized | Southern America | Northern South America | Suriname | | |
4 | Naturalized | Southern America | Northern South America | Venezuela | | |
4 | Naturalized | Southern America | Southern South America | Argentina | | |
4 | Naturalized | Southern America | Southern South America | Paraguay | | |
4 | Naturalized | Southern America | Western South America | Bolivia | | |
4 | Naturalized | Southern America | Western South America | Ecuador | | |
4 | Naturalized | Southern America | Western South America | Peru | | |
Native
Africa
-
EAST TROPICAL AFRICA:
Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda
-
SOUTH TROPICAL AFRICA:
Angola, Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe
-
WEST TROPICAL AFRICA:
Benin, Côte D'Ivoire, Ghana, Gambia, Liberia, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone
-
WEST-CENTRAL TROPICAL AFRICA:
Burundi, Cameroon, Gabon, Rwanda, Zaire
-
WESTERN INDIAN OCEAN:
Madagascar
Asia-Tropical
-
INDIAN SUBCONTINENT:
India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Pakistan
-
INDO-CHINA:
Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam
-
MALESIA:
Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Papua New Guinea
Australasia
-
AUSTRALIA:
Australia [Queensland]
Pacific
-
SOUTH-CENTRAL PACIFIC:
French Polynesia
-
SOUTHWESTERN PACIFIC:
Fiji
Cultivated
(widely cult.)
Naturalized
Northern America
-
REGION:
Mexico
-
SOUTH-CENTRAL U.S.A.:
United States [Texas (s.e.)]
-
SOUTHEASTERN U.S.A.:
United States [Florida, Louisiana]
Pacific
-
NORTH-CENTRAL PACIFIC:
United States [Hawaii]
Southern America
-
BRAZIL:
Brazil
-
CARIBBEAN:
Netherlands Antilles, Bahamas, Barbados, Cuba, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Guadeloupe, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, Montserrat, Martinique, Puerto Rico, St. Vincent and Grenadines, Virgin Islands (British), Virgin Islands (U.S.)
-
MESOAMERICA:
Belize, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, El Salvador
-
NORTHERN SOUTH AMERICA:
French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, Venezuela
-
SOUTHERN SOUTH AMERICA:
Argentina, Paraguay
-
WESTERN SOUTH AMERICA:
Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru
Economic Uses
Harmful organism host
Human food
vegetable (fruits eaten or pickled when young fide Biol Cucurb 329. 1990; Hamdard 38:93. 1995) – Medicines
folklore (fide Pl Res SEAs 12(1):357. 1999; CRC MedHerbs ed2; Herbs Commerce ed2; Hamdard 38:93. 1995) – Vertebrate poisons
mammals (fide Kingsbury; Lampe & McCann) – Weed
potential seed contaminant (fide Weed CIBA) –