Momordica calantha Gilg

Cucurbitaceae, C. Jeffrey. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1967

Morphology General Habit

Perennial herb climbing to 4 m.; roots tuberous.

Morphology Stem

Stems herbaceous, green, glabrous or pubescent.

Morphology Leaves

Leaf-blade broadly ovate, ovate-cordate or triangular-cordate in outline, acute and apiculate, sinuate-toothed, pubescent or scabrid-hairy especially above and on the nerves beneath, 55–165 mm. long, 55–150 mm. broad, unlobed or more often 3(–5)-lobed; lobes sub-triangular, broadest at the base, rarely narrowly long-elliptic; petiole pubescent, 10–55 mm. long.

Morphology General Tendrils

Tendrils bifid.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Monoecious. Female flowers shortly stalked; ovary ovoid-fusiform, ± 13 mm. long and 5 mm. across, pubescent; receptacle-tube shallow; lobes strap-shaped, ± 8 mm. long, reflexed after fall of corolla; petals lingulate, rounded and slightly apiculate, ± 23 mm. long and 8 mm. broad, pubescent. Male flowers 5–24, umbelliform on a 6–45 mm. long peduncle with all parts pubescent, sometimes densely so; bract apical on the peduncle, minute, up to 2.5 × 1 mm.; pedicels 7–32 mm. long, persistent after fall of flower; receptacle-tube broadly campanulate-obconic, pubescent, 3–9 mm. long; lobes oblong, ovate-triangular or triangular, acute, obtuse or rounded at the apex, pubescent, sometimes densely soft-hairy, glabrous at the margins, bluntly to sharply keeled beneath, 3–8 mm. long, green or brownish-green; corolla pure white or tinged pale orange-cream, black at the centre, campanulate-urceolate; petals oblong-lingulate, recurved, apically rounded, 20–25 mm. long, 5–10 mm. broad, each with 2 rows of short papilla-like hairs, 2 with incurved scales inside at the base; stamens (fig. 2/4a, 4b, p. 18) 3; anthers connate; connectives narrow; thecae triplicate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts

Probracts orbicular, glandular, sessile, 1.5–4.5 mm. in diameter.

sex Male

Male flowers 5–24, umbelliform on a 6–45 mm. long peduncle with all parts pubescent, sometimes densely so; bract apical on the peduncle, minute, up to 2.5 × 1 mm.; pedicels 7–32 mm. long, persistent after fall of flower; receptacle-tube broadly campanulate-obconic, pubescent, 3–9 mm. long; lobes oblong, ovate-triangular or triangular, acute, obtuse or rounded at the apex, pubescent, sometimes densely soft-hairy, glabrous at the margins, bluntly to sharply keeled beneath, 3–8 mm. long, green or brownish-green; corolla pure white or tinged pale orange-cream, black at the centre, campanulate-urceolate; petals oblong-lingulate, recurved, apically rounded, 20–25 mm. long, 5–10 mm. broad, each with 2 rows of short papilla-like hairs, 2 with incurved scales inside at the base; stamens (fig. 2/4a, 4b, p. 18) 3; anthers connate; connectives narrow; thecae triplicate.

sex Female

Female flowers shortly stalked; ovary ovoid-fusiform, ± 13 mm. long and 5 mm. across, pubescent; receptacle-tube shallow; lobes strap-shaped, ± 8 mm. long, reflexed after fall of corolla; petals lingulate, rounded and slightly apiculate, ± 23 mm. long and 8 mm. broad, pubescent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit (fig. 3/6, p. 25) shortly stalked, fleshy, velvety, indehiscent, smooth, bright scarlet, 50–63 mm. long, 35–43 mm. across, crowned with the enlarged 14–15 mm. long reflexed persistent strap-shaped receptacle-lobes.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds (fig. 3/10, p. 25) embedded in pockets of sticky translucent pulp when fresh, dark brown, oblong, compressed, 15–18 × 8–9 × 4–6 mm.; testa sculptured; margins smooth, widely and shallowly grooved.

Figures

Fig. 2/1, p. 18.

Habitat

Margins of rain- and ground-water forests, and valley grasslands; 600–1800 m.

Distribution

K4 T2 T3 T6 U4 not known elsewhere

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation

Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident