Common Names:
English: African cucumber, balsam apple, balsam pear, bitter gourd, bitter melon
Ifugao: Paliya, palia, palya
Spanish: Amargoso. amorgoso
Tagalog: Ampalaya, amplia

Folkloric uses:  Astringent powdered leaves or root decoction can be applied to hemorrhoids.
Leaf juice for cough and as a purgative and anthelminthic to expel intestinal parasites, and for healing wounds.
Seeds also used to expel worms.
Juice from fruit used for dysentery and chronic colitis.
The vine or the juice of leaves used as mild purgative for children.
In large doses, the fresh juice is a drastic purgative.
Decoction of roots and seeds used for urethral discharges.
Pounded leaves used for scalds.
Infusion of leaves or leaf juice used for fevers.