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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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
balsamito – bálsamo – 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 | Democratic Republic of the Congo | | |
1 | Native | Africa | West-Central Tropical Africa | Gabon | | |
1 | Native | Africa | West-Central Tropical Africa | Rwanda | | |
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 | Philippines | | |
1 | Native | Asia-Tropical | Papuasia | Papua New Guinea | | |
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 | 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 | United States | Puerto Rico | |
4 | Naturalized | Southern America | Caribbean | United States | Virgin Islands, U.S. | |
4 | Naturalized | Southern America | Caribbean | Virgin Islands (British) | | |
4 | Naturalized | Southern America | Central America | Belize | | |
4 | Naturalized | Southern America | Central America | Costa Rica | | |
4 | Naturalized | Southern America | Central America | El Salvador | | |
4 | Naturalized | Southern America | Central America | Guatemala | | |
4 | Naturalized | Southern America | Central America | Honduras | | |
4 | Naturalized | Southern America | Central America | Nicaragua | | |
4 | Naturalized | Southern America | Central America | 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
-
WEST-CENTRAL TROPICAL AFRICA:
Burundi, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Rwanda
-
WEST TROPICAL AFRICA:
Benin, Côte D'Ivoire, Ghana, Gambia, Liberia, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone
-
SOUTH TROPICAL AFRICA:
Angola, Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe
-
WESTERN INDIAN OCEAN:
Madagascar
Asia-Tropical
-
INDIAN SUBCONTINENT:
India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Pakistan
-
PAPUASIA:
Papua New Guinea
-
INDO-CHINA:
Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam
-
MALESIA:
Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines
Australasia
-
AUSTRALIA:
Australia [Queensland]
Pacific
-
SOUTH-CENTRAL PACIFIC:
French Polynesia
-
SOUTHWESTERN PACIFIC:
Fiji
Cultivated
(widely cult.)
Naturalized
Northern America
-
SOUTHEASTERN U.S.A.:
United States [Florida, Louisiana]
-
SOUTH-CENTRAL U.S.A.:
United States [Texas (s.e.)]
-
REGION:
Mexico
Pacific
-
NORTH-CENTRAL PACIFIC:
United States [Hawaii]
Southern America
-
CARIBBEAN:
Netherlands Antilles, Bahamas, Barbados, Cuba, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Guadeloupe, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, Montserrat, Martinique, United States [Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, U.S.], St. Vincent and Grenadines, Virgin Islands (British)
-
CENTRAL AMERICA:
Belize, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, El Salvador
-
NORTHERN SOUTH AMERICA:
French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, Venezuela
-
BRAZIL:
Brazil
-
WESTERN SOUTH AMERICA:
Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru
-
SOUTHERN SOUTH AMERICA:
Argentina, Paraguay
Economic Uses
Usage | Type | Note | Reference |
Harmful organism host | crop diseases | fide WorldWeeds 478. 1997 | Holm, L. et al. 1997. World weeds: natural histories and distribution John Wiley & Sons, New York, New York. |
Harmful organism host | crop pests | fide WorldWeeds 478. 1997 | Holm, L. et al. 1997. World weeds: natural histories and distribution John Wiley & Sons, New York, New York. |
Human food | vegetable | fruits eaten or pickled when young fide Biol Cucurb 329. 1990; Hamdard 38:93. 1995 | Chakravarty, H. L. 1990. Cucurbits of India and their role in the development of vegetable crops. Biology and utilization of the Cucurbitaceae 329. |
Medicines | folklore | fide Pl Res SEAs 12(1):357. 1999; CRC MedHerbs ed2; Herbs Commerce ed2; Hamdard 38:93. 1995 | McGuffin, M., J. T. Kartesz, A. Y. Leung, & A. O. Tucker. 2000. Herbs of commerce, ed. 2 American Herbal Products Association, Silver Spring, Maryland. |
Vertebrate poisons | mammals | | Kingsbury, J. M. 1964. Poisonous plants of the United States and Canada. Note: poisonous |
Vertebrate poisons | mammals | | Lampe, K. F. & M. A. McCann. 1985. AMA handbook of poisonous and injurious plants Note: poisonous |
Weed | potential seed contaminant | | CIBA-GEIGY, Basel, Switzerland. Documenta CIBA-GEIGY (Grass weeds 1. 1980, 2. 1981; Monocot weeds 3. 1982; Dicot weeds 1. 1988) Note: four books on weeds worldwide in scope |