Native & Naturalized Plants of the Carolinas & Georgia

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2702

Climbing herbaceous vine (with tendrils)
Annual
Monoecious

Non-native: Africa

Documented growing wild in - - -

Rare

Look for it in disturbed areas, roadsides, fence-rows, per Weakley's Flora

map
To see a detailed map, click here

 

LEAVES:
Simple
Alternate

FLOWER:
Spring/Summer
Yellow
Unisexual
Slightly bilaterally symmetrical
5-lobed rotate or broadly campanulate corolla
3 stamens (rarely 2)
Inferior ovary

FRUIT:
Berry

 

TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!



Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Core Eudicots: Rosids: Fabids: Cucurbitales

WEAKLEY'S FLORA (2/8/20):
 Momordica charantia ssp. charantia   FAMILY Cucurbitaceae

INCLUDED WITHIN PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
 Momordica charantia   FAMILY Cucurbitaceae

 

COMMON NAME:
 Balsam-pear, Balsam-apple, Bitter Melon

Click or hover over the thumbnails to see larger pictures.

image of Momordica charantia ssp. charantia, Balsam-pear, Balsam-apple, Bitter Melon

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.

image of Momordica charantia ssp. charantia, Balsam-pear, Balsam-apple, Bitter Melon

Patrick D. McMillan    pdmmcharantia_sebring1b

June    Polk County    FL

The five petals bright yellow, obovate to oblong-obovate, per Flora of North America.

image of Momordica charantia ssp. charantia, Balsam-pear, Balsam-apple, Bitter Melon

Patrick D. McMillan    pdmmcharantia_sebring4

June    Polk County    FL