what is the scientific name of bitter gourd
Momordica charantia Momordica charantia, known as bitter melon, bitter gourd, bitter squash, or balsam-pear,[1] is a tropical and subtropical vine of the family Cucurbitaceae, widely grown in Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean for its edible fruit. Its many varieties differ substantially in the shape and bitterness of the fruit. Bitter melon also has names in other languages which have entered English as loanwords, e.g. kǔguā (苦瓜) from Chinese, nigauri (苦瓜) from Japanese, gōyā (ゴーヤー)[2] from Okinawan, kaipakka/paavakka (കയ്പക്ക/പാവയ്ക്ക) in Malayalam, kakarakaya (కాకరకాయ) in Telugu, Hāgala (ಹಾಗಲ) in Kannada, pākal (பாகல்) in Tamil and karela (करेला and كاريلا) or kareli (करेली and کریلی) in Hindustani (Hindi and Urdu), coming from Sanskrit. In Bengali, it is known as uchche (উচ্ছে). Those from the Caribbean island of Jamaica commonly refer to the plant as cerasee. In Brazil this plant is called Saint Cajetan's Melon (melão-de-são-caetano). In Guyana the plant is referred to as corilla. In the Philippines it is called ampalaya or amargoso.