WorldFloraDB - Momordica boivinii

Characteristics

Herb climbing or trailing to 2 m. from a perennial tuberous rootstock.. Stems annual, herbaceous, glabrous or pubescent.. Leaf-blade ovate-cordate, acute, apiculate, ± sinuate-toothed, subglabrous, scabridulous or shortly hairy, sometimes densely so beneath, 18–62 mm. long, 20–47 mm. broad, often somewhat 3-lobed with short triangular lateral lobes; petiole 9–50 mm. long.. Tendrils simple.. Monoecious.. Male flowers 1–6, shortly racemiform, apical on an 11–100 mm. long peduncle, subtended by a minute bract; peduncle running parallel close to the petiole and passing through the basal sinus of the subtending leaf; pedicels 5–20 mm. long, pubescent wholly or on upper part only; receptacle-tube broad and shallow, 3–4.5 mm. long; lobes ovate-lanceolate, acute, almost glabrous to densely pubescent, 6–14 mm. long, blackish-brown; petals orange-yellow or bright orange, 13–15 mm. long, 6–9 mm. broad, the 2 outer with scales inside at the base; stamens (fig. 2/3a, 3b, p. 18) 2; thecae flexuous.. Female flowers on 10–70 mm. long stalks bearing a minute bract in the upper half; ovary fusiform, 4.5–11 mm. long, 1–1.5 mm. across, ± ribbed, shortly sometimes densely hairy; receptacle-tube short, shallow; lobes linear-subulate, green, 2–4 mm. long; petals oblong, 8–10 mm. long, 5–6 mm. broad, obtuse.. Fruit (fig. 3/2, p. 25) on a 24–110 mm. long stalk, fleshy, elongated fusiform-cylindrical, 23–100 mm. long, 4–9 mm. broad, longitudinally merely slightly angled or ribbed, subglabrous to densely hairy, 3–4-seeded, somewhat constricted between the seeds, red and irregularly splitting.. Seeds (fig. 3/8, p. 25) broadly fusiform, 11–17 × 3.5–5 × 3.5–5 mm., rugose-appendaged at each end; testa smooth, obscurely sculptured in very low relief.. Fig. 3/1, p. 25.

More

Perennial herb. Stems prostrate or scandent, to 7·5 m, glabrous or sparsely and finely shortly pubescent, arising from a tuberous napiform rootstock. Leaf-lamina 1·4-7·5 x 0·8-6·7 cm, narrowly to very broadly ovate in outline, deeply cordate, plane or distinctly sinuate and denticulate, finely asperulous beneath, finely more or less densely asperulous or scabrid-punctate above, unlobed or usually shortly palmately 3-5-lobed, the central lobe largest, triangular, shortly acuminate, acute to obtuse, apiculate, the lateral shorter, more rounded. Petiole 0·4-5 cm long, shortly pubescent. Tendrils simple. Flowers monoecious. Male flowers 1-8 in pedunculate bracteate subumbelliform inflorescences, sometimes accompanied by 1-2 female flowers; peduncle 1·1-10 cm long; bract 3-8 mm long, narrowly lanceolate to linear; pedicels 5-20 mm long. Receptacle-tube 2-5 mm long, lobes 6-17 mm long, narrowly ovate to lanceolate, acutely-acuminate, dark-coloured. Petals 1·3-2·8 cm long, yellow to deep orange above, paler beneath, dark at the base, narrowly obovate. Female flowers solitary or 1-2 accompanying male in mixed inflorescence; when solitary, peduncles 1·7-6·4 mm long and bract subulate, 4-7 mm long; pedicel 2-6 mm long; ovary 4·5-12 x 1-1·5 mm, fusiform, ribbed, finely pubescent on ribs; receptacle-tube 0·5 mm long, lobes 2-5 mm long, narrowly lanceolate, green; petals 0·8-1·6 cm long, obovate. Fruit 2·3-10 x 0·4-0·9 cm, fusiform, green or striped with cream, becoming yellow; fruit-stalk 1·8-11 cm long. Seeds 9-17 x 3-5 x 2-5 mm, ellipsoid, tumid, with terminal verrucose appendices; faces convex, shallowly sculptured, margins slightly flattened.

An annual herb. It climbs by tendrils. These are not branched It grows from a tuberous rootstock. The stems can be 5 m long. The leaves are alternate. They are about 3 cm long by 3 cm wide. They are shallowly divided into 3 lobes. Male and female flowers can be on the same plant or on separate plants. The flowers are orange. There are 1 or 2 female flowers in the axils of leaves. The male flowers are in clusters of 2-5. The fruit is cylinder shaped and 3 cm long by 4 mm wide. It has 2 seeds.

male flowers 1–8 in pedunculate bracteate subumbelliform inflorescences, sometimes accompanied by 1–2 female flowers; peduncle 1·1–10 cm. long; bract 3–8 mm. long, narrowly lanceolate to linear; pedicels 5–20 mm. long. Receptacle-tube 2–5 mm. long, lobes 6–17 mm. long, narrowly ovate to lanceolate, acutely-acuminate, dark-coloured. Petals 1·3–2·8 cm. long, yellow to deep orange above, paler beneath, dark at the base, narrowly obovate.

Prostrate or scandent herb. Tendrils simple, un-branched. Stems and petioles concolorous, uniformly green. Leaf lamina unlobed or usually shallowly 3-5-lobed or-angled; lobes ovate or triangular. Male flowers 1-8, subumbellate, peduncle free from petiole of subtending leaf. Fruit fusiform, 4-8 mm in diameter. Flowers yellow to deep orange above, pale beneath, dark at base; July and November to February.

Leaf-lamina 1·4–7·5 × 0·8–6·7 cm., narrowly to very broadly ovate in outline, deeply cordate, plane or distinctly sinuate and denticulate, finely asperulous beneath, finely more or less densely asperulous or scabrid-punctate above, unlobed or usually shortly palmately 3–5-lobed, the central lobe largest, triangular, shortly acuminate, acute to obtuse, apiculate, the lateral shorter, more rounded.

Female flowers solitary or 1–2 accompanying male in mixed inflorescence; when solitary, peduncles 1·7–6·4 mm. long and bract subulate, 4–7 mm. long; pedicel 2–6 mm. long; ovary 4·5–12 × 1–1·5 mm., fusiform, ribbed, finely pubescent on ribs; receptacle-tube 0·5 mm. long, lobes 2–5 mm. long, narrowly lanceolate, green; petals 0·8–1·6 cm. long, obovate.

Seeds 9–17 × 3–5 × 2–5 mm., ellipsoid, tumid, with terminal verrucose appendices; faces convex, shallowly sculptured, margins slightly flattened.

Stems prostrate or scandent, to 7·5 m., glabrous or sparsely and finely shortly pubescent, arising from a tuberous napiform rootstock.

Fruit 2·3–10 × 0·4–0·9 cm., fusiform, green or striped with cream, becoming yellow; fruit-stalk 1·8–11 cm. long.

Petiole 0·4–5 cm. long, shortly pubescent.

Flowers monoecious.

Tendrils simple.

Life form	perennial
Growth form	herb
Growth support	climber
Foliage retention	-
Sexuality	monoecy
Pollination	-
Spread	-
Mature width (meter)	-
Mature height (meter)	1.25 - 3.5
Root system	-
Rooting depth (meter)	-
Root diameter (meter)	-
Flower color
Blooming months	-
Fruit color
Fruiting months	-
Nitrogen fixer	-
Photosynthetic pathway	-

Environment

It is a tropical plant. It can grow in stony or sandy soils as well as clays and loams. It grows in woodland. It grows between 300-1,950 m above sea level. It can grow in arid places.

Light	-
Soil humidity	-
Soil texture
Soil acidity	-
Soil nutriment	-
Hardiness (USDA)

Usage

The leaves are used as a flavouring and as a potherb.

Uses	animal food food material medicinal potherb
Edible	leaves
Therapeutic use	-
Human toxicity	-
Animal toxicity	-

Cultivation

Mode	-
Germination duration (days)	14 - 21
Germination temperacture (C°)	18 - 23
Germination luminosity	-
Germination treatment	-
Minimum temperature (C°)	-
Optimum temperature (C°)	-
Size	-
Vigor	-
Productivity	-