Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Core Eudicots: Rosids: Fabids: Cucurbitales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/14/23):
Momordica charantia ssp. charantia
FAMILY
Cucurbitaceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
Check out EDDMapS.org to see where this has been reported.
INCLUDED WITHIN
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Momordica charantia
FAMILY
Cucurbitaceae
INCLUDED WITHIN Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Momordica charantia
SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 6 (2015)
Momordica charantia ssp. charantia
INCLUDED WITHIN Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Momordica charantia
INCLUDED WITHIN Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Momordica charantia
COMMON NAME:
Balsam-pear, Balsam-apple, Bitter Melon
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
)
Patrick D. McMillan pdmmcharantia_sebring1
June Polk County FL
Leaf blade suborbiculate-orbiculate, deeply palmately 5-7 lobed, base cordate, per Flora of North America.
)
Patrick D. McMillan pdmmcharantia_sebring1b
June Polk County FL
The five petals bright yellow, obovate to oblong-obovate, per Flora of North America.
)
Patrick D. McMillan pdmmcharantia_sebring4
June Polk County FL
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/14/23):
Momordica charantia ssp. charantia
FAMILY
Cucurbitaceae
INCLUDED WITHIN
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Momordica charantia
FAMILY
Cucurbitaceae
INCLUDED WITHIN
Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Momordica charantia
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 6
Momordica charantia ssp. charantia
INCLUDED WITHIN
Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Momordica charantia
INCLUDED WITHIN
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Momordica charantia
2702
Climbing herbaceous vine (with tendrils)
Annual
Monoecious
Habitat: Disturbed areas, roadsides, fence-rows, per Weakley's Flora
Non-native: Africa
Waif(s)
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
LEAVES:
Simple
Alternate
FLOWER:
Spring/Summer/Fall
Yellow
Slightly bilaterally symmetrical
5-lobed rotate or broadly campanulate corolla
3 stamens (rarely 2)
Inferior ovary
Unisexual
FRUIT:
Berry
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
If a search such as "Carex leptalea var. leptalea" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "Carex leptalea".
Or, to minimize chances of a misspelling, try just "Carex le".
Less is more: If "pencil flower" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "pencil".