Momordica repens Bremek.

Species

Angiosperms > Cucurbitales > Cucurbitaceae > Momordica

Characteristics

Perennial herb. Stems prostrate or occasionally scandent, to 2 m, rather densely crispate-pubescent, arising from perennial rootstock. Leaf-lamina 1·3-3·1 x 3·4-5·5 cm, suborbicular to transversely elliptic in outline, deeply cordate, densely shortly setulose becoming densely asperous-punctate, slightly succulent, deeply palmately multilobate, the lobes subequal, rather sharply lobulate. Petioles 1·8-6 cm long, very densely crispate-pubescent. Tendrils 2-fid. Flowers monoecious. Male flowers 3-5 in bracteate, pedunculate, subumbelliform inflorescences, only one flower opening at a time; peduncle 1·3-6 cm long; bracts 5-9 x 7-18 mm, resembling the leaves but smaller, 3-7-lobed; pedicels 2·0-4·4 cm long. Receptacle-tube 2-5 mm long, lobes 5-10 mm long, ovate or oblong-ovate, acute, shortly acuminate or apiculate. Petals 1·4-3·6 cm long, yellow, dark-veined, dark at the base, broadly obovate, rounded, apiculate. Female flowers solitary; peduncle 3-7 cm long, sometimes bracteate; ovary c. 20 x 5 mm, ellipsoid-rostrate, pubescent, muricate; receptacle-tube 2 mm long, lobes c. 5 mm long, ovate-triangular, shortly acuminate, acute, apiculate; petals c. 2·5-3·5 cm long. Fruit 5-6 x 4·7 cm, ellipsoid or subglobose, rostrate, 10-ribbed, muricate, reddish-brown. Seeds c. 20 x 20 x 7-8 mm, orbicular in outline, more or less compressed, with smooth undulate faces, slightly ridged edges and grooved margins.
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male flowers 3–5 in bracteate, pedunculate, subumbelliform inflorescences, only one flower opening at a time; peduncle 1·3–6 cm. long; bracts 5–9 × 7–18 mm., resembling the leaves but smaller, 3–7-lobed; pedicels 2·0–4·4 cm. long. Receptacle-tube 2–5 mm. long, lobes 5–10 mm. long, ovate or oblong-ovate, acute, shortly acuminate or apiculate. Petals 1·4–3·6 cm. long, yellow, dark-veined, dark at the base, broadly obovate, rounded, apiculate.
Prostrate or scandent herb. Tendrils bifid. Stems and petioles concolorous, uniformly green. Leaf lamina and bracts deeply palmately 7(or more)-lobate; lobes sube-qual and markedly lobulate. Male flowers 76-127 mm pedunculate, subumbelliform inflorescences, opening singly. Fruit 50-60 x 47 mm, ellipsoid or subglobose, rostrate, 10-ribbed, muricate. Flowers yellow, dark-veined, dark at base.
Female flowers solitary; peduncle 3–7 cm. long, sometimes bracteate; ovary c. 20 × 5 mm., ellipsoid-rostrate, pubescent, muricate; receptacle-tube 2 mm. long, lobes c. 5 mm. long, ovate-triangular, shortly acuminate, acute, apiculate; petals c. 2·5–3·5 cm. long.
Leaf-lamina 1·3–3·1 × 3·4–5·5 cm., suborbicular to transversely elliptic in outline, deeply cordate, densely shortly setulose becoming densely asperous-punctate, slightly succulent, deeply palmately multilobate, the lobes subequal, rather sharply lobulate.
Seeds c. 20 × 20 × 7–8 mm., orbicular in outline, more or less compressed, with smooth undulate faces, slightly ridged edges and grooved margins.
Stems prostrate or occasionally scandent, to 2 m., rather densely crispate-pubescent, arising from perennial rootstock.
Fruit 5–6 × 4·7 cm., ellipsoid or subglobose, rostrate, 10-ribbed, muricate, reddish-brown.
Petioles 1·8–6 cm. long, very densely crispate-pubescent.
Flowers monoecious.
Tendrils 2-fid.
Life form perennial
Growth form herb
Growth support climber
Foliage retention -
Sexuality monoecy
Pollination -
Spread -
Mature width (meter) -
Mature height (meter) -
Root system -
Rooting depth (meter) -
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color
Blooming months -
Fruit color
Fruiting months -
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway -

Environment

Light -
Soil humidity -
Soil texture 5-6
Soil acidity -
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) 9-12

Usage

Uses medicinal
Edible -
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 -

Distribution

Momordica repens world distribution map, present in Botswana, South Africa, and Zimbabwe

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:293535-1
WFO ID wfo-0001301118
COL ID 6RNNJ
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN)
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Momordica repens Momordica marlothii