Cucurbitaceae FAMILY

Momordica balsamina

Edibility

2/5

Medicinal

2/5

Safety & Hazards

Although reported to be edible, the ripe fruits have also been reported to cause vomiting and diarrhoea, and can be poisonous[ 299 Title Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa. Publication Author Website http://www.prota.org Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa. ].

Botanical Description

Balsam apple is a perennial climbing plant producing annual stems that can grow up to 5 metres long from a tuberous perennial rootstock. The stems sometimes sprawl over the ground, but can also support themselves on other plants by means of tendrils[ 295 Title PlantZAfrica.com Publication Author Website http://www.plantzafrica.com Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An excellent site giving detailed descriptions and uses of many S. African plants. ] . The plant is cultivated on a small scale in almost all tropical areas as a vegetable and medicinal plant[ 317 Title Mansfeld's Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Plants Publication Author Website http://mansfeld.ipk-gatersleben.de/pls/htmldb_pgrc/f?p=185:3:4292127278597336 Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Terse details of a huge range of useful plants. ].

Habitat & Origin

Origintropical

Native RangeWidespread in the tropics, probably only native in the drier areas from Africa to Australia.

HabitatFound in sunny and semi-shaded locations in grassland, savannah, woodland, forest margins, coastal dune forests and in river bank vegetation as well as disturbed areas[ 295 Title PlantZAfrica.com Publication Author Website http://www.plantzafrica.com Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An excellent site giving detailed descriptions and uses of many S. African plants. ].