Bitter Melon
Momordica charantia
family
Cucurbitaceae
origin
Exotic
declaration
NIL
For information only
Common names
Bitter melon, Bitter gourd, Balsam apple, Balsam pear;, Bitter balsam apple, Bitter cucumber, Carilla gourd, Paria, Wild balsam-apple.
Bitter melon is an annual climbing vine probably native to tropical and subtropical Africa and Asia. There are two botanical varieties viz.; M. charantia var. muricata (syn. var. abbreviata) and M. charantia var. charantia, the former mostly wild and the latter cultivated. The wild variety (M. charantia var. muricata) is considered as the progenitor of cultivated M. charantia var. charantia. M. charantia is a tropical and subtropical species belonging to the family Cucurbitaceae, and is widely grown for its edible fruit, which is among the most bitter of all fruits.
Impact
Impact
M. charantia is an aggressive invasive that grows as rapidly forming dense colonies that engulf native vegetation, climbing high into mature tree canopies and shading-out trees and shrubs in the understory. It competes for light and resources with native vegetation and it has the potential to completely out-compete vegetation communities by displacing native species, inhibiting the germination and establishment of seedlings in the understory and by changing community structures and altering ecological functions in invaded areas , It is very invasive in Guam, and has also been reported as invasive in other parts of the Pacific, Brazil and the Caribbean. It interferes with the growth of a wide range of vegetables, annual, perennial, orchard and plantation crops by climbing over them, competing for light and possibly for nutrients and water, raising the humidity around their bases, and interfering with access, management and harvesting. It is a particular problem in sugarcane; in the first three months it may smother all growth, and at all stages, but particularly towards harvest it climbs over the crop and binds stalks together, reducing sugar content and making harvesting very difficult. For more information see the Queensland Government Fact Sheet
Location
Location
Characteristics
Characteristics
Similar Species
Similar Species
M. charantia is an aggressive invasive that grows as rapidly forming dense colonies that engulf native vegetation, climbing high into mature tree canopies and shading-out trees and shrubs in the understory. It competes for light and resources with native vegetation and it has the potential to completely out-compete vegetation communities by displacing native species, inhibiting the germination and establishment of seedlings in the understory and by changing community structures and altering ecological functions in invaded areas , It is very invasive in Guam, and has also been reported as invasive in other parts of the Pacific, Brazil and the Caribbean. It interferes with the growth of a wide range of vegetables, annual, perennial, orchard and plantation crops by climbing over them, competing for light and possibly for nutrients and water, raising the humidity around their bases, and interfering with access, management and harvesting. It is a particular problem in sugarcane; in the first three months it may smother all growth, and at all stages, but particularly towards harvest it climbs over the crop and binds stalks together, reducing sugar content and making harvesting very difficult. For more information see the Queensland Government Fact Sheet
