Karela / Bitter Melon
Momordica charantia
- Found in India
- Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu & more
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
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.
Local Names
- Hindi
- karela
- Tamil
- பாகல்/பாகற்கொடி
- Telugu
- కాకరకాయ
- Malayalam
- പാവൽ
- Bengali
- করলা
- Sinhala
- කරවිල
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.
Cucurbitaceae
Cucumber/Gourd family
Karela belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
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