Momordica

  • Authority

    Acevedo-Rodríguez, Pedro. 2005. Vines and climbing plants of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Contr. U. S. Natl. Herb. 51: 1-483.

  • Family

    Cucurbitaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Momordica

  • Description

    Description - Herbaceous vines, monoecious, with axillary tendrils, without latex. Leaves alternate, petiolate; blades simple, entire or palmatilobed; stipules absent. Flowers unisexual, actinomorphic; calyx campanulate or infundibuliform, with 5 minute lobes; corolla campanulate or rotate. Staminate flowers in axillary racemes or solitary; stamens 3, the filaments free, the anthers free or concrescent; pistillodes absent or glandular. Pistillate flowers solitary, on long peduncles with foliaceous bracts; staminodia absent; ovary inferior, ellipsoid, tricarpellate, with numerous horizontal ovules, the style terminal, simple, the stigmas 3, linear, bilobate. Fruit a fleshy capsule, which opens by 3 valves; seeds numerous, compressed, arillate. A predominantly African genus of about 40 species.