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'''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'''.
== Description Uses== This herbaceous{{Uses|lowers fevers}}, {{Uses|colitis}}, {{Uses|dysentery}}, {{Uses|diabetes}}, {{Uses|malignant ulcers}}, tendril-bearing vine grows up to 5 m (16 ft) in length. It bears simple{{Uses|stomach worms}}, alternate leaves 4–12 cm (1.6–4.7 in) across{{Uses|fever}}, with three to seven deeply separated lobes. Each plant bears separate yellow male and female flowers. In the Northern Hemisphere{{Uses|phlegm}}, flowering occurs during June to July and fruiting during September to November.{{Uses|hypertension}}
== Uses Common names=={{Common names|kn=|ml=|sa=|ta=|te=|hi=|en=Agrimony}}
==Common name=Rasa===
== External Links =Veerya===
===Karma===
===Prabhava===
==Habit==
{{Habit|Annual climbing plant}}
==Identification==
===Leaf===
{{Leaf|Simple|alternate|lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets}}<ref name="Leaf"/>
===Flower===
{{Flower|Unisexual|2-4cm long|Yellow, white|2-3|Flowers Season is June - August}}
===Fruit===
{{Fruit|general|100–200 mm|clearly grooved lengthwise, Lowest hooked hairs aligned towards crown|the fruit is fleshy|many}}
===Other features===
==List of Ayurvedic medicine in which the herb is used==
* [[Vishatinduka Taila]] as ''root juice extract''
==Where to get the saplings==
==Mode of Propagation==
{{Propagation|Seeds}}, {{Propagation|Cuttings}}.
==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"/>
==Commonly seen growing in areas==
{{Commonly seen|coastal thickets}}, {{Commonly seen|along creeks and streams}}, {{Commonly seen|lowland forest margins}}.
==Photo Gallery==
<gallery class="left" caption="" widths="140px" heights="140px">
File:Momordica charantia 01.JPG|Plant
File:Momordica charantia 22042014 (2).JPG|Leafbud
File:Momordica charantia - flower 02.jpg|Leaves and Flower
File:MomordicaCharantia flowers.jpg|Flowers
File:Momordica charantia - Female flower.JPG|Female flower
File:Momordica charantia - Male flower.JPG|Male flower
File:Momordica charantia 24042014 (2).jpg|2 days old fruit with flower
File:Momordica charantia 25042014.jpg|3 days old fruit
File:Momordica charantia 01052014.jpg|10 days old fruit
File:Momordica charantia - Immature fruit.JPG|Immature fruit
</gallery>
==References==
<references>
<ref name="chemical composition">[https://www.mdidea.com/products/herbextract/bittermelon/data03.html "Phytochemicals"]</ref>
<ref name="Leaf">[https://gobotany.newenglandwild.org/species/momordica/charantia/ "charecteristics"]</ref>
<ref name="How to plant/cultivate">[http://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Momordica+charantia "Cultivation Details"]</ref>
</references>
==External Links==
* [https://www.cabi.org/isc/datasheet/34678 Momordica charantia on cabi.org]
* [https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/jf00010a013 Chemical composition of Momordica charantia L. fruits]
* [http://www.alliedacademies.org/articles/study-on-the-chemical-constituents-of-momordica-charantia-l-leaves-andmethod-for-their-quantitative-determination.html Study on the chemical constituents of Momordica charantia L. leaves]
* [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20055177 Chemical constituents of Momordica charantia L]
[[Category:Herbs]]