- Family:
- Cucurbitaceae Juss.
- Genus:
- Momordica L.
Momordica corymbifera Hook.f.

[FZ]
Cucurbitaceae, C. Jeffrey. Flora Zambesiaca 4. 1978
- Morphology General Habit
- Stems prostrate or scandent to 10 m., sparsely to very densely shortly and finely crispate-pubescent, arising from large woody tuberous rootstock; all parts foetid.
- Morphology Leaves
- Leaf-lamina 4·7–10·7 × 5·0–10·4 cm., ovate to broadly ovate in outline, deeply cordate, remotely denticulate to sinuate-serrate, finely punctate and shortly and finely pubescent on veins beneath, finely pubescent or asperulous above, unlobed or usually shortly palmately 3–5-lobed, the median lobe largest, broadly triangular to ovate, acuminate, acute, apiculate; lateral lobes much shorter. Leaves simple.
- Morphology Leaves Petiole
- Petiole 2·1–9·2 cm. long, rather densely shortly finely pubescent.
- Morphology General Tendrils
- Tendrils 2-fid.
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
- Flowers monoecious. male flowers solitary or usually 4–11 in bracteate, pedunculate, subumbelliform or racemiform inflorescences, rarely proliferating into many-flowered fascicles; peduncle 1·1–9·5 cm. long; bracts 2–20 mm. long, usually ovate or broadly ovate, rounded, apiculate, sessile or shortly stalked; pedicels 0·5–2·7 cm. long. Receptacle-tube 3–8 mm. long, lobes 3–6 mm. long, green or blackish, ovate to broadly ovate or obovate-oblong, rounded to acute, apiculate to long-acuminate, apices sometimes recurved. Petals 11–19 mm. long, pale yellow, dark-lined along the veins at the base, recurved. Female flowers solitary or paired; peduncle up to 6·2 cm. long, bracteate at apex; bract 7 mm. long; pedicel 3 mm. long; ovary 16–30 × 5–8 mm., ovoid or ellipsoid, rostrate, longitudinally ridged, finely puberulous, the ridges wing-like, toothed; receptacle-tube very short, 1 mm. long, lobes 6–13 mm. long, ovate or ovate-lanceolate, acutely-acuminate; petals 17–26 mm. long.
- sex Male
- male flowers solitary or usually 4–11 in bracteate, pedunculate, subumbelliform or racemiform inflorescences, rarely proliferating into many-flowered fascicles; peduncle 1·1–9·5 cm. long; bracts 2–20 mm. long, usually ovate or broadly ovate, rounded, apiculate, sessile or shortly stalked; pedicels 0·5–2·7 cm. long. Receptacle-tube 3–8 mm. long, lobes 3–6 mm. long, green or blackish, ovate to broadly ovate or obovate-oblong, rounded to acute, apiculate to long-acuminate, apices sometimes recurved. Petals 11–19 mm. long, pale yellow, dark-lined along the veins at the base, recurved.
- sex Female
- Female flowers solitary or paired; peduncle up to 6·2 cm. long, bracteate at apex; bract 7 mm. long; pedicel 3 mm. long; ovary 16–30 × 5–8 mm., ovoid or ellipsoid, rostrate, longitudinally ridged, finely puberulous, the ridges wing-like, toothed; receptacle-tube very short, 1 mm. long, lobes 6–13 mm. long, ovate or ovate-lanceolate, acutely-acuminate; petals 17–26 mm. long.
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
- Fruit c. 9 × 5 cm., ellipsoid, shortly rostrate, with 16 longitudinal wing-like ridges; fruit stalk 1 cm. or more long, stout.
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
- Seeds 16–16·5 × 12·8–13 × 6·5–7·0 mm., asymmetrically ovate in outline, subcompressed, brown, almost smooth, with grooved margins, enveloped in sheaths of fleshy pulp.
Native to:
Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Momordica corymbifera Hook.f. appears in other Kew resources:
Date | Reference | Identified As | Barcode | Type Status | Has image? |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mar 1, 1972 | Kirk, J. [s.n.], Mozambique | K000312930 | Yes |
First published in D.Oliver & auct. suc. (eds.), Fl. Trop. Afr. 2: 539 (1871)
Accepted by
- Launert, E. (ed.) (1978). Flora Zambesiaca 4: 1-658. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Literature
Kew Backbone Distributions
- Launert, E. (ed.) (1978). Flora Zambesiaca 4: 1-658. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
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Flora Zambesiaca
Flora Zambesiaca
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
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Herbarium Catalogue Specimens
Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
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Kew Backbone Distributions
The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2022. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
© Copyright 2017 World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0
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Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone
The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2022. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
© Copyright 2017 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0