Lobed leaf
As recorded for Karela

✿Cucurbitaceae · Momordica

Momordica charantia

Karela / Bitter Melon പാവൽ

Malayalam name · See all regional names ↓

Native in Indian regions · Kew WCVPoutdoor

Found in India: Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu & more

Identify this plant with SASYA

One plant. Many familiar names.

Karela in regional languages

Find the name you know, then compare it with the botanical profile. Columns list recorded aliases; they are not paired translations. A Latin spelling appears only when it is present in the source record.

Recorded regional names for Karela
Language	Regional script	Recorded Latin spelling
Hindi	Not recorded	karela
Tamil	பாகல் பாகற்கொடி	Not recorded
Telugu	కాకరకాయ	Not recorded
Malayalam	പാവൽ	Not recorded
Bengali	করলা	Not recorded
Sinhala	කරවිල	Not recorded

See the original recorded names

Hindi: karela
Tamil: பாகல்/பாகற்கொடி
Telugu: కాకరకాయ
Malayalam: പാവൽ
Bengali: করলা
Sinhala: කරවිල

The growing essentials

Karela at a glance

Source-linked growing guidance. Adjust care to your climate, season and growing conditions. Unrecorded values are shown explicitly.

Sunlight: Full sun or partial shade.
Water & soil moisture: Rich, organic, moist, well-drained soil.
Pot & placement: Not yet verified
Pet safety: Not yet verified

Water needs are conditional; these cards do not prescribe a fixed watering interval. Review dates belong to the individual source records.

The source-backed species sheet

Toxicity & contact hazards

What the sources report, with their scope intact. A missing rating stays unknown; a non-toxic listing doesn’t rule out irritation, injury or other hazards.

Reported toxicity

Pets: No reviewed rating
People: Mild toxicity reported

Ripe fruit and seeds are toxic only if large amounts are eaten; young green fruit is eaten as a vegetable.

Signs listed by the source: headache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, muscle weakness

A little more context

Growing context & reported issues

Published observations about growing settings, size and common problems. These are context for a plant profile, rather than a diagnosis of the plant in front of you.

Growing setting

Edible garden vine for trellises or vertical spaces.

Reported size

Vine climbs 12 to 20 ft; 3 to 6 ft wide.

Reported pests & problems

Downy mildew, powdery mildew and mosaic.

Ecology & growing context

Native status · Kew WCVP: WCVP native range includes Assam, India, West Himalaya Kew dataset ↗︎
Kew WCVP dataset; accepted-name match. Dataset matching is separate from an individual regional review. Recorded worldwide native range: Trop. & Subtrop. Old World to S. Pacific.
Explore nearby plants: Maharashtra →Andhra Pradesh →Tamil Nadu →

Occurrence records show where a plant has been recorded; they do not establish that it is native there. Compare local habitat and growing conditions when choosing plants for a garden.

How to identify Karela

Identify Karela by combining habit, leaf characters, flower or fruit details, location, and its family pattern. Do not rely on one feature alone.

Confirm leaf arrangement: Alternate.
Confirm leaf type: Simple.
Confirm flower colour: Yellow.
In India, compare location records such as Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and nearby regions.
Confirm it sits within the Cucurbitaceae family pattern, then compare close relatives before deciding it is Karela.

Plant Details

Scientific name: Momordica charantia
Genus: Momordica
Family: Cucurbitaceae
Found in India: Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Kerala, Karnataka, West Bengal, Uttarakhand, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Goa, Jharkhand, Mizoram, Delhi, Chandigarh, Himachal Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Jammu & Kashmir, Manipur, Puducherry, Punjab, Sikkim
Conservation status: Not Evaluated (NE)

Leaf characters

Leaf arrangement: AlternaterecordedOne leaf per node, arranged in a spiral or zigzag up the stem.“It bears simple, alternate leaves 4–12 cm (1.6–4.7 in) across, with three to seven deeply separated lobes.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Leaf type: SimplerecordedA single, undivided leaf blade.“It bears simple, alternate leaves 4–12 cm (1.6–4.7 in) across, with three to seven deeply separated lobes.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Leaf margin: LobedrecordedThe edge is divided into rounded or pointed sections that don't reach the midrib.“It bears simple, alternate leaves 4–12 cm (1.6–4.7 in) across, with three to seven deeply separated lobes.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Typical of the family

Venation: Palmate

Characters marked “recorded” are for Karela itself; the rest are typical of the Cucurbitaceae family.

Flower & fruit characters

Flower colour: Yellowrecorded

Typical of the family

Flower symmetry: Actinomorphic (radially symmetrical)
Inflorescence: Solitary
Fruit: Berry

Characters marked “recorded” are for Karela itself; the rest are typical of the Cucurbitaceae family — flowering plants only.

About Karela

Bitter Melon (Momordica charantia) belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family. In India it has been recorded in Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and 26 other states.

Uses

In practice it is grown for parts that are eaten and long used in traditional medicine. Those medicinal uses are traditional attributions, not medical advice. Parts of this plant are reported as poisonous — treat it as unsafe to eat and wash your hands after handling.