Family:
Cucurbitaceae Juss.
Genus:
Momordica L.

Momordica rostrata Zimm.

This species is accepted, and its native range is S. Ethiopia to N. & Central Tanzania.

[FSOM]

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Morphology General Habit
Softly woody deciduous climber to 7 m
Morphology Roots
Rootstock tuberous, partially subaerial, dark green, tapered, sulcate, 15–20 cm across
Morphology Stem
Stems quickly woody, with pale bark
Morphology Leaves
Leaves pedately (5–)9(–12)-foliolate; central leaflet elliptic to almost circular, cuneate, sinuate-denticulate, 1.1–4.7 x 1–2.8 cm; lateral leaflets smaller; petiolule of central group of leaflets 0.6–3.1 cm long; petiole 2.5–25 mm long
Morphology General Tendrils
Tendrils simple
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Male flowers 1–14 in pedunculate bracteate subumbelliform clusters Dioecious
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Peduncles
Peduncles 0.4–10 cm long, axillary or ± crowded on contracted leafless stems
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts
Bract 1–3 mm long, pale green, immediately subtending the flowers
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Pedicel
Pedicels pubescent, 2–13 mm long Pedicel 0.2–1.5 cm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Hypanthium
Hypanthium broadly campanulate, brownish green, 2–2.5 mm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Female flowers solitary, subsessile
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary
Ovary narrowly ovoid, 12–14 mm long, slightly 8-ridged
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals triangular-lanceolate, 1.5–2 mm long Sepals triangular, apiculate, green at the apex, 2–4 mm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals like those of male flowers Petals orange-yellow, oblong, rounded, 7–13 mm long, 3 with a dark basal marking
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit ovoid, rostrate, subterete or slightly 8-angled, 3–7 x 1.5–3 cm, bright red, flesh yellowish
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds sheathed in yellowish pulp, broadly ovate, c. 14 x 10 x 2.5 mm, faces sculptured.
Distribution
C2; S1, 3; S Ethiopia, NE Uganda, Kenya, N & Central Tanzania
Ecology
Altitude range 35–470 m.
Vernacular
Saaro-saaro (Somali).

[FTEA]

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

Morphology General Habit
Climber to 7 m.; rootstock tuberous, visible above ground and tapering upwards into the stems, dark green or brownish with scattered paler lenticels, longitudinally sulcate, 15–20 cm. across.
Morphology Stem
Young stems green, herbaceous, glabrous except for hair-tufts at the nodes, soon becoming woody with smooth or slightly rough grey or brownish bark; basal stems thickened.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves pedately biternately (5–7–)9(–12)-foliolate, deciduous; terminal leaflet elliptic, ovate or suborbicular, equal-sided and cuneate, slightly apiculate, sinuate-toothed or dentate, 11–47 mm. long, 10–28 mm. broad; lateral leaflets somewhat smaller, tending to be rather more rounded and somewhat unequal-based; central rhachis longer than petiole, 6–31 mm. long; petiolules up to 13 mm. long; petiole 2.5–25 mm. long.
Morphology General Tendrils
Tendrils simple.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Dioecious. Male flowers 1–14, subumbellate on a 4–100 mm. long glabrous or pubescent peduncle and immediately subtended by a small pale green white-pubescent 1–3 mm. in diameter (rarely up to 7–10 mm. long and 10–12 mm. broad) bract; peduncles on current stems or produced in clusters at the nodes on old leafless stems, the flowering stems often practically leafless and with reduced internodes and then giving the appearance of a fasciculate inflorescence; pedicels white-pubescent, 2–13 mm. long; receptacle-tube brownish-green, broadly campanulate, 2–2.5 mm. long; lobes subulate-triangular to rounded-triangular, 2–4 mm. long, pale green, hairy at the margins; petals oblong-lingulate, rounded and slightly apiculate, 7–13 mm. long, 4–8 mm. broad, recurved in upper third, rich orange-yellow, 3 with a dark greenish- to brownish-purple basal patch, 2 with incurved scales inside at the base; stamens (fig. 2/6a, 6b, p. 18) 3; thecae triplicate. Female flowers solitary (rarely paired), subsessile, minutely bracteate; ovary 12–14 mm. long, 2.5–3 mm. across, with 8 slight longitudinal ridges; receptacle-tube shallow; lobes triangular-lanceolate, ± 1.5–2 mm. long; petals ± 8 mm. long and 4 mm. broad.
sex Male
Male flowers 1–14, subumbellate on a 4–100 mm. long glabrous or pubescent peduncle and immediately subtended by a small pale green white-pubescent 1–3 mm. in diameter (rarely up to 7–10 mm. long and 10–12 mm. broad) bract; peduncles on current stems or produced in clusters at the nodes on old leafless stems, the flowering stems often practically leafless and with reduced internodes and then giving the appearance of a fasciculate inflorescence; pedicels white-pubescent, 2–13 mm. long; receptacle-tube brownish-green, broadly campanulate, 2–2.5 mm. long; lobes subulate-triangular to rounded-triangular, 2–4 mm. long, pale green, hairy at the margins; petals oblong-lingulate, rounded and slightly apiculate, 7–13 mm. long, 4–8 mm. broad, recurved in upper third, rich orange-yellow, 3 with a dark greenish- to brownish-purple basal patch, 2 with incurved scales inside at the base; stamens (fig. 2/6a, 6b, p. 18) 3; thecae triplicate.
sex Female
Female flowers solitary (rarely paired), subsessile, minutely bracteate; ovary 12–14 mm. long, 2.5–3 mm. across, with 8 slight longitudinal ridges; receptacle-tube shallow; lobes triangular-lanceolate, ± 1.5–2 mm. long; petals ± 8 mm. long and 4 mm. broad.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit on a 2–15 mm. long stalk, ovoid and beaked, 31–70 mm. long, 15–30 mm. across, subterete or with 8 slight longitudinal ridges or angles, bright red.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds when fresh enclosed in pockets of yellowish pulp, broadly ovate in outline, blackish-brown, 14 × 10 × 2.5 mm.; testa sculptured; margins grooved.
Habitat
Deciduous bushland, thicket, woodland and wooded grassland; 15–1650 m.
Distribution
K1 K4 K6 K7 T1 T2 T3 T5 U1 southern Ethiopia

Native to:

Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Tanzania, Uganda

Momordica rostrata Zimm. appears in other Kew resources:

Date Reference Identified As Barcode Type Status Has image?
Milne-Redhead, E. [11257], Tanzania 16151.000 No
Drummond, R.B. [1218], Kenya 1739.000 No
Gillett, J.B. [13655], Kenya 1741.000 No
Drummond, R.B. [2998A], Tanzania 1742.000 No
Gillett, J.B. [14167], Kenya 1743.000 No
Richards [23927], Tanzania 40095.000 No
Drummond, R.B. [1240], Kenya 4651.000 No
Milne-Redhead, E. [7247], Tanzania 4652.000 No
Milne-Redhead, E. [7015], Kenya 4653.000 No
Verdcourt, B. [417], Kenya 5160.000 No
Drummond, R.B. [4110], Kenya 6512.000 No
Greenway, P.J., Kenya 6513.000 No
Bally, P.R.O. [12311], Kenya 6598.000 No
Greenway, P.J. [10172], Tanzania 6951.000 No
Verdcourt, B. [1576], Kenya 8110.000 No
Bidgood, S. [6267], Tanzania K000468158 No

First published in Cucurbitac. 2: 183 (1922)

Accepted by

  • Edwards, S., Tadesse, M. & Hedberg, I. (eds.) (1995). Flora of Ethiopia and Eritrea 2(2): 1-456. The National Herbarium, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia & The Department of Systematic Botany, Upps.
  • Jeffrey, C. (1967). Flora of Tropical East Africa, Cucurbitaceae: 1-156.
  • Thulin, M. (ed.) (1993). Flora of Somalia 1: 1-493. The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Literature

Kew Backbone Distributions

  • Thulin, M. (ed.) (1993). Flora of Somalia 1: 1-493. The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Flora of Somalia

  • Flora Somalia, Vol 1, (1993) Author: by C. Jeffrey & M. Thulin [updated by M. Thulin 2008]

Flora of Tropical East Africa

  • A. Zimm., Cucurbitac. 2: 183, 38, 53, 86, 104, 116, figs. 64/4, 83/1 (1922).
  • A.J. Jex-Blake, Some Wild Flowers of Kenya p. 28 (1948).

  • Flora of Somalia

    Flora of Somalia
    http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    Flora of Tropical East Africa
    http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

  • 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

  • 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