ツルレイシはニガウリ、ゴーヤとも呼ばれる野菜です。雄花と雌花がある雌雄異花。雌花は受粉すると萼の下が膨らんで苦い果実になります。
Bitter melon is a vegetable that is also called Nigauri or Goya. Dioecious with male and female flowers. When pollinated, female flowers swell under the calyx and become bitter fruits.
【仮名】ツルレイシ, ニガウリ, ゴーヤ
【和名】蔓茘枝, 苦瓜
【英名】Bitter Melon
【学名】Momordica charantia
【誕生】10/ 19
【開花】07, 08, 09月
【花色】Yellow
ツルレイシ
ツルレイシの来歴
ツルレイシは蔓性で、成長すると４～５ｍになるウリ科の一年草です。原産地はインドやボルネオなどの熱帯アジア。日本へは中国を経て渡来し、南西諸島や南九州で栽培が多い野菜です。
ツルレイシとニガウリ
ツルレイシの和名の由来は、イボに覆われた果実の外観や、完熟すると仮種皮が甘くなるところが、レイシ（ライチ）に似ているから。一方で果肉は苦いことからニガウリとも呼ばれます。
ツルレイシとゴーヤ
ツルレイシはゴーヤとも呼ばれます。これは沖縄の言葉で「苦いウリ」という意味。沖縄料理の流行でこの呼称が全国に広がりました。なお、沖縄ではゴーヤーと語尾を伸ばすのが一般的。
ツルレイシの雌雄
ツルレイシは雌雄異花です。雌花は黄緑色の雌しべと、萼の下に小さな果実の素があり、受粉すると肥大化。雄花は雌花より大きく、黄色い雄しべと萼の下に小さな丸い膨らみがあります。
ツルレイシの花数
ツルレイシの雌花は数が少なく、雄花の１割くらい。最初はなかなか見つけられませんが、短日植物なので夏至を過ぎ、日が短くなるにつれて花数が増え、雌花が見つかりやすくなります。
ツルレイシで日除け
茎葉をベランダや窓辺に這わせ、日除け代わりにする緑のカーテン。ツルレイシは盛んに伸長・繁茂するので、あらかじめ大きめの鉢やプランターに植え付け、株間も広くとっておきます。
ツルレイシの果実
ツルレイシは雌花の開花後15～20日が果実の収穫適期。次々と花が咲き、次々と実が成ります。果実は採り遅れると黄変。放っておくと裂開し、中から赤いゼリー状の仮種皮が現れます。
Bitter Melon
History of Bitter melon
Bitter melon is a vine, an annual plant of the Cucurbitaceae family that grows to 4-5 m. The place of origin is tropical Asia such as India and Borneo. It is a vegetable that came to Japan via China and is often cultivated in the Nansei Islands and Southern Kyushu.
Bitter melon and Nigauri
The Japanese name for bitter melon is similar to that of lychee in that the appearance of the fruit covered with warts and the arils become sweet when fully ripe. On the other hand, the flesh is bitter, so it is also called Nigauri.
Bitter melon and Goya
Bitter melon is also called Goya. This is an Okinawan word meaning “bitter uri”. With the popularity of Okinawan cuisine, this name has spread all over the country. In Okinawa, it is common to extend the ending with Goya.
Male and female of bitter melon
Bitter melon is a dioecious flower. The female flower has a yellow-green pistil and a small fruit element under the calyx, and it becomes enlarged when pollinated. Male flowers are larger than female flowers and have small round bulges under the yellow stamens and calyxes.
Number of flowers of bitter melon
The number of female flowers of bitter melon is small, about 10% of male flowers. It is difficult to find at first, but since it is a short-day plant, the number of flowers increases as the summer solstice passes and the days get shorter, making it easier to find female flowers.
Awning with bitter melon
A green curtain that crawls the foliage on the balcony or the windowsill and uses it as a shade. Since the vines grow and thrive, plant them in a large pot or planter in advance and set aside a wide space between the plants.
Fruit of bitter melon
The optimum time for fruit harvesting is 15 to 20 days after the flowering of female flowers. Flowers bloom one after another and bear fruit one after another. Fruits turn yellow when they are delayed. If left untreated, it will dehiscence and a red jelly-like aril will appear from inside.
