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Balsampear (Momordica charantia)

Description

The bitter melon , bitter melon or balsam pear ( Momordica charantia ) is a plant vine vegetable of the family Cucurbitaceae , grown in warm or temperate climates annual plant . The term "margose" refers to the plant and the fruit, the plant is sometimes incorrectly called "margosier" which means in Creole of the Indian Ocean the melia ( Melia azedarach, L) 1 .Annual climbing and carpet plant whose height can reach 5 m . The stems are delicate and equipped with simple tendrils. The alternate leaves are of comparable shape to the leaves of vines, the limbs have 3, 5 or 7 lobes. The leaves have a strong odor and have a bitter taste.The flowers are small and yellowish, borne by frail peduncles. The male flowers have three stamens and the female flowers have a three-lobed stigma and an inferior ovary.

Taxonomic tree

  • Domain: Eukarya

    • Kingdom: Plantae

      • Phylum: Magnoliophyta

        • Class: Magnoliopsida

          • Order: Cucurbitales

            • Family: Cucurbitaceae

              • Genus: Momordica