Difference between revisions of "Momordica charantia - Karavellaka, Karabellam"

Revision as of 10:33, 10 June 2019

Momordica charantia, Bitter gourd

Bitter gourd , known as bitter melon, Momordica charantia, bitter squash, or balsam-pear, has names in other languages which have entered English as loanwords, e.g. goya from Okinawan and karela from Sanskrit. Those from the Caribbean island of Jamaica commonly refer to the plant as cerasee.

Uses

Colitis, Dysentery, Diabetes, Malignant ulcers, Stomach worms, Fever, Phlegm, Hypertension

Parts Used

Fruits.

Chemical Composition

Amino acids, Glutamic acid, Lactamic acid, Beta-lactamic acid, Phenylalanine, Proline, Alpha-Aminobutyric acid, Citrulline, Galacturonic acid^[1]

Common names

Language	Common name
Kannada	Haagalakaayi
Hindi	Karela, kathilla
Malayalam
Tamil	Iraca-valli
Telugu	Kakara
Marathi	NA
Gujarathi	NA
Punjabi	NA
Kashmiri	NA
Sanskrit	Kaarvellakah
English	Bitter gourd

Properties

Reference: Dravya - Substance, Rasa - Taste, Guna - Qualities, Veerya - Potency, Vipaka - Post-digesion effect, Karma - Pharmacological activity, Prabhava - Therepeutics.

Dravya

Rasa

Tikta (Bitter), Tikta (Bitter),

Guna

Laghu (Light), Ruksha (Dry)

Veerya

Ushna (Hot)

Vipaka

Katu (Pungent)

Karma

Kapha, Vata

Prabhava

Habit

Climber

Identification

Leaf

Kind	Shape	Feature
Simple	alternate	lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets

^[2]

Flower

Type	Size	Color and composition	Stamen	More information
Unisexual	2-4cm long	Yellow, white	2-3	Flowers Season is June - August

Fruit

Type	Size	Mass	Appearance	Seeds	More information
general	100–200 mm	clearly grooved lengthwise, Lowest hooked hairs aligned towards crown	the fruit is fleshy	many	{{{6}}}

Other features

List of Ayurvedic medicine in which the herb is used

^[3]

Where to get the saplings

Mode of Propagation

Seeds, Cuttings.

How to plant/cultivate

Seed - sow in situ. Seedlings emerge 5 - 7 days after sowing, but fresh seed often shows dormancy which is very hard to break and can last for some months. ^[4]

Commonly seen growing in areas

Coastal thickets, Along streams, Along creeks, Lowland forest margins.

Photo Gallery

Plant
Leafbud
Leaves and Flower
Flowers
Female flower
Male flower
2 days old fruit with flower
3 days old fruit
10 days old fruit
Immature fruit

References

External Links

[chemical_composition-1] "Phytochemicals"

[Leaf-2] "charecteristics"

[Ayurvedic_preparations-3] "Ayurvedic preparations"

[How_to_plant.2Fcultivate-4] "Cultivation Details"

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

@@ Line 55: / Line 55: @@
 ==How to plant/cultivate==
-The plant is best adapted to hot humid areas of the tropics and subtropics, though it can be grown in a wide range of climates right into the temperate zone so long as there is a sufficient growing season<ref name="How to plant/cultivate"/>
+Seed - sow in situ. Seedlings emerge 5 - 7 days after sowing, but fresh seed often shows dormancy which is very hard to break and can last for some months. <ref name="How to plant/cultivate"/>
 ==Commonly seen growing in areas==