Common name: Balsam Apple
Momordica balsamina L. APNI* 
Description: Annual or perennial herb with trailing glabrous stems to 1.5 m long.
Leaves with lamina 5–7 cm long, deeply 5–7-lobed, lobes sinuate-toothed to lobed, acute; petiole 1–5 cm long.
Male flowers on stalk 2–8 cm long, bract 1–1.5 cm long, green with darker green veins; petals 1–1.5 cm long, pale yellow. Female flowers on stalk 1–4 cm long, bracteate towards base or absent.
Fruit 3–6 cm long, indehiscent, slightly ridged and sparsely tuberculate, orange-red; seeds c. 10 mm long.
Distribution and occurrence: Usually grows in riverine woodland in sandy soil.
NSW subdivisions: NC, NWS, CWS, NWP, NFWP
Other Australian states: Qld W.A. S.A. N.T.
Text by G. J. Harden
Taxon concept: Flora of NSW 1 (1990)
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
|
