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.