MORPHOLOGY

MORPHOLOGY Ampalaya is a climbing vine, nearly or quite smooth, annual vine. Tendrils are simple, up to 20 centimeters long. Leaves are 2.5 to 10 centimeters in diameter, cut nearly to the base into 5 to 7 lobes, oblong-ovate, variously toothed, and heart-shaped at the base. Male flower is about 12 millimeters long, and is peduncle, with a rounded, green, and about 1 centimeter long bract approximately at the middle. Female flower is yellow flower, about 15 millimeters long, long-stalked with pair of small leaf like bracts at middle or toward base of stalk. Fruit, in cultivated form, is green, fleshy, oblong, cylindrical, 15 to 25 centimeters long, pointed at both ends, ribbed and wrinkled, bursting when mature to release seeds; in wild forms, ovoid, about 2 to 4 centimeters long. Seeds are oblong, compressed 10 to 13 millimeters long, and corrugated on the margins (Philippine Medical Plant, 2014). Flowering of M. charantia started 38 + 3.5 d after planting with the development of male flowers earlier than the female flowers. Flowers started to open at about 0300 h, and were fully opened at 0530-1200 h. A successfully pollinated female flower started to set fruit after 2-5 diameters (Rodelina & Cleofas, 2009). Water spinach leaves are flat, and vary in shape depending on variety, from heart-shaped to long, narrow and arrow-shaped. The size may come up to 12 inches (30 cm) tall with trailing stems that are 7-10 feet (2-3 meters) long, but can get to almost 70 feet (21 meters). Its roots are fibrous and stems can root at the nodes. Narrow leaves are 1-2.5 cm wide and 20-30 cm long. Broad leaves are up to 5 cm wide and 15-25 cm long. The large, attractive flowers have the typical open, trumpet shape of convolvulus or bindweed flowers. They are usually white, sometimes with a pinkish centre. Wild forms may have purple or mauve flowers. The leaves have a very pleasant, mild, sweet flavour and a slightly slippery texture, which contrast when cooked with the crispness