Momordica Charantia

(Common name:- Bitter melon)

Classification

• Kingdom- Plantae
• Division- Magnoliophyta
• Class- Magnoliopsida
• Order- Cucurbitales
• Family- Cucurbitaceae
• Genus- Momordica
• Species- M. charantia

Plant Description

Bitter melon is an herbaceous plant; tendril-bearing leaves that are 2-4 cm with 3-7 deeply separated lobes.

The plant bears each male and female separate yellow flower. The fruit is oblong, with a distinct warty exterior look.

The fruit is dark green and hollow from inside with cross section and relatively thin layer of flesh surrounding a central seed cavity filled large flat seeds.

Names

• English-: Balsam pear, Leprosy pear, Leprosy gourd, Bitter gourd, Bitter cucumber
• Italian-: Pomo meraviglia, Momordica amara
• German-: Balsambirne, Bittergurke, Balsamgurke.
• Danish-: Balsamagurk, Balsamaeble
• Russian-: Indiiskoe zheleznoe derevo, Mezua zheleznaia, Mezuia zheleznaia, Nagakeshara (from Hindi), Zheleznoe derevo.
• Burmese-: Kyethinkhathee
• Chinese- : Ku gua (Cantonese Fu gwa, Foo gwa, Foo kwa), Jin li zhi, Lai pu tao, Ku gua ye, Ku gua ye (Cantonese Foo gwa yip for leaves), Kor kuey (Hokkien - Singapore).
• Finnish-: Karvaskurkku.
• Dutch- : Balsempeer
• French-: Margose (Réunion, Mauritius Islands), Margose amère, Momordique amère, Concombre amer, Concombre africain.
• Khmer-: Mreah.
• Laotin-: Bai maha, Haix, S'aix.
• Hindi-: Karela, Kerela, Tita kerala
• Japnese-: Niga uri, Nigai uri, Tsuru reishi, Tsuru reishi.
• Malay-: Peria, Daun peria (leaves), Peria laut, Peria katak, Paré (Java), Peparé (Java), Paria (Indonesia)..
• Nepalese-: Karelaa, Tito karelaa
• Sinhalese-: Karavila, Karawila, Pakal, Pavakai
• Spanish-: Bálsamo, Calabaza africana, Cundeamor, Momordica amarga, Pepino amargo.
• Swedish-: Bittergurka.
• Tamil-: Pava aki..
• Tagalog-: Ampalaya.
• Thai-: Maha, Mara, Phakha
• Vietnamese-: La khoqua
• Visayan-: Palia.