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CUCURBITACEAE
16. Momordica charantia Linn. Sp. PI. 1009. 1753. (Fig. 174).
Momordica humilis Wall.—Momordica muricata DC.—Momordica senegalensis Lamk.—
Momordica balsamina Blanco—Momordica cyiindrica Blanco—Cucumis africanus Thunb.
Engl. Bitter Gourd; Sinh. Kariwila; Tarn. Pakal, Pavakkachedi, Pavakkayi; Hindi
Karela, Kareli, Karola; Sans. Ambuvallika, BrihadvaJli, Chiripatra, Kandakataka, Kandura,
Kantaphalla, Karaka, Karavalli, Karawallilata, Karavella, Karavellaka, Karavelli, Kathilla,
Kathillaka, Katilla, Katillaka. Krimighna, Patu, Pitapushpa, Rahavalli, Sukanda, Sukandaka,
Sukshmavalli, Sushavi, Susuvi, Toyavalli, Ugrakanta, Urdhvasita, Varivalli, Visakantaki.
An annual, tendril climber with somewhat twining, much branched, 5-angled, roughly
pubescent stems, young parts hairy; leaves simple, alternate, 6—12.5 cm long, almost circular
in outline, very deeply cordate at base, pal mately cut to beyond the middle into 7 or 9 lobes,
lobes acute, apiculate coarsely spinous-dentate, pubescent on veins on both sides, petioles 2.5—
5 cm long, channelled above and narrowly bordered with decurrent leaf-bases; flowers regular,
lemon yellow, unisexual, monoecious, solitary, axillary on slender peduncles 5—7.5 cm long,
usually with a large, sessile, rotundate, entire bract on the lower half and often close to the base;
calyx segments 5, fused at base, oval, subacute, pubescent; petals 5, slightly connate at.base,
twice as long as calyx segments, rounded, veiny; male flowers: stamens 3, anthers-slightly connate,
cells conduplicate; female flowers: ovary inferior, papillose, style short, stigmas 3, bilobed;
fruit large, 7.5—15 cm long, pendulous, fusiform, usually pointed or beaked, closely tubercled
and also bluntly muricated, orange coloured when ripe; seeds large, a^out 1.2 cm long, ovoid,
compressed each enclosed in a red pulpy envelope.
Flowers from June to August.
Illustrations. Curtis, Bot. Mag. 51: pi. 2455. 1824; Edward, Bot. Reg. 12: pi. 980. 1826;
Wight, Ic. Pi. Ind. Orient, pi. 504. 1840—43; Kirtikar and Basu, Indian Med. Plants, pi. 452.
1933; Herb. Peradeniya, drawing.
Distribution. Cultivated throughout India, Ceylon, Malaya, China and tropical Africa.
In Ceylon, it is cultivated in the low-country up to 3000 feet altitude.
India. Gangetic Plain, cultivated, T. Thomson. Maisor and Carnatic, G. Thomson. Ceylon.
Peradeniya, Bot. Gard., cultivated, J. M. Silva, Feb. 1928. Maldive Islands. Faga, Didi 61, 1896.
Composition. The whole plant, mcluding the unripe fruit, contains probably two alkaloids
one of which is momordicine, a glucoside—like substance, an aromatic ethereal oil, a fixed oil,
traces of a fatty acid and carotene. The fruit is a good source of iron, calcium, phosphorus and
vitamin B. The seeds yield a purgative oil high in saponin content.
Uses. The fruits and leaves are anthelmintic and used as a vermifuge. They are also
useful for piles, leprosy and jaundice. The leaves are used in tho treatment of colic. The root
is an ingredient in aphrodisiacal preparations and used externally for haemorrhoids. The fruit
is a tonic and stomachic and useful for rheumatism, gout and diseases of the spleen and liver.
In large doses it is a drastic purgative and is considered abortifacient.
In lndo-China, the seeds are used as a cure for dysentry. In Cuba the whole plant is used
in the treatment of diabetes and chronic ulcers in the stomach. The seed is administered as an
anthelmintic in Brazil and Congo. The plant is used for preparing remedies for skin
diseases, headaches and constipation in Japan. In the Philippines, the juice of the green fruit is
given for chronic colitis and bacillary dysentry, while the juice pf the leaves is administered for
children's coughs.
The green fruit is used as a vegetable in spite of its bitterness.
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