Momordica balsamina

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 Momordica dioica
(1) Bracts of the male flowers at the apex of the pedicel, ovate-cordate, dentate. Fruit 2-7 cm long 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 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

Updated on December 23, 2024

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