Bitter melon (Momordica charantia)

Pare or bitter melon (Momordica charantia) is a plant species in Cucurbitaceae, grows climbing or spreads with spiral-shaped tendrils, many branches, long fruit and jagged surface, grows well in tropical regions and is usually cultivated for vegetables and medicinal ingredients.

M. charantia has green stems with white hairs. Single leaf stemmed and arranged alternately, length 3.5-8.5 cm, width 4 cm, divided into 5-7 fins with many bones, heart-shaped base, green, wrinkled surface and jagged margins.

A single flower has a stalk, male and female flowers in the tree, the crown has five fins and is yellow. The fruit is long oval shaped, has 8-10 linear ribs, irregular nodules, 6-30 cm long depending on subspecies and varieties, bitter taste, young green, ripe to orange and broken with three parts.

Bitter melon has several subpsecies including Momordica charantia macroloba, Momordica charantia charantia and Momordica charantia abbreviata. Some varieties include Momordica charantia muricata and Momordica charantia zeylanica.

Grows wild on abandoned soil, moor or is cultivated and planted in the yard by being spread on the fence to harvest fruit. This plant does not need too much sunlight and can flourish in shady places. Seed is taken from ripe fruit.

Fruits contain albuminoids, carbohydrates and pigments. The leaves contain momordisina, momordina, carantina, resin and oil. The root contains momordial acid and oleanolic acid. Seeds contain saponins, alkaloids, triterprenoid, and momordial acid. Large content of beta-carotene to prevent cancer, heart attacks and viral infections.

Pare is widely used for treatment including digestive disorders, tonics, laxatives, vomiting stimulants, stimulating appetite, jaundice, improving digestion, malaria and hypoglycemic drugs through plant-based insulin which reduces blood sugar content for diabetics.

Leaves to cure diarrhea in infants, clean the blood of women who have just given birth, reduce fever, remove pinworms and cure coughs. Seed extract is used as an exterminator of Aedes aegypti larvae.

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Subphylum: Angiospermae
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Cucurbitales
Family: Cucurbitaceae
Genus: Momordica
Species: Momordica charantia
Subspecies: Momordica charantia macroloba, Momordica charantia charantia, Momordica charantia abbreviata
Varieties: Momordica charantia muricata, Momordica charantia zeylanica

Elephant bell gourd (Trichosanthes tricuspidata)

Elephant bell gourd ( Trichosanthes tricuspidata ) is a plant species in the Cucurbitaceae, stems grow elongated to propagate or climb, many branches, cylindrical in shape and green in color. T. cochinchinensis has stem tips or branches that twist to attach themselves to a support or other plant. It grows to climb to cover a support, usually on another plant, up to several meters and creeps along the ground to reach another support. Arrow-shaped leaves, split base, sharp apex and two wings at an acute angle, have many veins ending at a sharp edge, green and have a long petiole. Single flower is white. The fruit is round to oval, ends with a tail, young green and turns red with maturity, thin skin, thick flesh and reddish yellow, has a short stalk and hangs. The seeds are in the middle of the fruit. Seeds are white, oval and flat. Black coated seeds. Elephant bell gourd grows wild in primary and secondary forests, agricultural land, roadsides, watersheds, especially on slopes, damp a

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