Flora of North America species comparison

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Momordica charantia

Momordica balsamina

balsam-pear, bitter-melon

southern balsampear
Stems

pubescent to glabrescent.
Leaves

petiole 1–4(–6) cm;

blade broadly ovate or reniform to orbiculate, palmately 3–5-lobed, 1–9(–12) cm, base cordate, lobes broadly ovate or rhombic-ovate, sinuses 80–90% to base, margins sinuate-dentate, leaf lobes and teeth apiculate, surfaces glabrous or sparsely hairy.
Inflorescences

staminate peduncles bracteate near apex, bracts sessile, broadly ovate-cordate to reniform, margins dentate to denticulate;

pistillate peduncles ebracteate or bracteate at base to submedially.
Fruits

orange-red, broadly ovoid, 2.5–4(–7) cm, beak becoming less prominent at maturity, surface minutely tuberculate, muriculate in longitudinal rows.
Seeds

ovate-oblong, 9–12 mm.
Petals

yellow, obovate, 8–15 mm.
2n

= 22.

Momordica charantia

Momordica balsamina
Phenology Flowering May–Sep.
Habitat Hammocks, disturbed areas, roadsides, fencerows
Elevation 10–200 m [30–700 ft]
Distribution
from FNA
AL; CT; FL; GA; LA; PA; Africa
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; FL; LA; NM; OK; TX; Asia; Africa [Introduced in North America; introduced also in Mexico, West Indies, Australia]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Subspecies 2 (1 in the flora).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Reports of Momordica balsamina from Alabama and Texas are not documented. Naturalized occurrences of the species elsewhere in the flora area are scattered and uncommon.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 6, p. 8. Treatment author: Guy L. Nesom. FNA vol. 6, p. 8. Treatment author: Guy L. Nesom.
Parent taxa Cucurbitaceae > Momordica Cucurbitaceae > Momordica
Sibling taxa
M. balsamina
M. charantia
Subordinate taxa
M. charantia subsp. charantia
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 1009. (1753) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 1009. (1753)
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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