Momordica balsamina L., Sp. Pl.: 1009 (1753) (syn: Momordica garipensis E.Mey. ; Momordica garriepensis Arn. ; Momordica huberi Tod. ; Momordica involucrata E.Mey. ex Sond. ; Momordica schinzii Cogn. ex Schinz ; Nevrosperma cuspidata Raf.);
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Tropical & S. Africa, SW. Arabian Peninsula, Australia: Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina, Cameroon, Cape Provinces, Caprivi Strip, Chad, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Namibia, New South Wales, Niger, Nigeria, Northern Provinces, Northern Territory, Queensland, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Somalia, South Australia, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Western Australia, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe; Introduced into: Alabama, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Florida, Haiti, India, Leeward Is., Louisiana, Mexico Northwest, Nepal, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Peru, Puerto Rico, Texas, Tuamotu, Tunisia, Windward Is. as per POWO;
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Common name: Balsam Pear, Balsam Apple, african cucumber, southern balsam pear • Hindi: बाड़ करेलिया Bad kareliya, बड़ा करेला Bara-karela, जंगली करेला Jangli-karela, Kankero, मोखा Mokha • Kannada: ಹುಚ್ಚುತೊಂಡೆ (ಬಳ್ಳಿ) Huchhu thonde balli, ಕಾರ್ಚಿ (ಬಳ್ಳಿ) Kaarchi balli, ಚೀಲೈತ Cheelaita • Malayalam: Undapaval, Kaippanpaval • Marathi: Karla • Nepali: बरेला Barela • Tamil: Parpakal • Angami: Kariela
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Kindly identify PD:005: 3 images.
Date: 11th November 2023
Place: Outside Jodhpur city on Jodhpur-Jaipur Highway
Habit: Climber
Momordica balsamina L.
Why not
https://efloraofindia.com/2011/03/13/momordica-charantia/?
I guess it matches :
https://powo.science.kew.org/names:293397-1
https://www.gbif.org/species/2874582
Appears possible going by the small size of the fruit as per keys from Flora of Pakistan:
| 1 | Flowers monoecious. Fruit tuberculate | (2) | |
| + | Flowers dioecious. Fruit densely prickly | 3 Momordica dioica | |
| 2 (1) | Bracts of the male flowers at the apex of the pedicel, ovate-cordate, dentate. Fruit 2-7 cm long | 1 Momordica balsamina | |
| + | Bracts of the male flowers about the middle or below the middle of the pedicel, reniform or orbicular-cordate, mucronate, entire. Fruit 7-25 cm long | 2 Momordica charantia |
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References:
POWO Catalogue of Life Flora of Pakistan FOP illustration Annotated checklist of Flowering plants of Nepal India Flora Online Flowers of India India Biodiversity Portal Wikipedia SANBI CABI
