Bitter gourd
Momordica cardiospermoides

Family: Cucurbitaceae

What it is like

A slender climber in the pumpkin family. It has a bad smell. The stems have ribs. The stems lie along the ground. They can be 10 m long. The leaves are compound. The leaflets are in groups of 5 or 17 and have 15-17 leaflets. The leaves are opposite and with a few pairs of opposite leaflets. These are also divided. There are teeth along the edge. The flowers occur singly in the axils of leaves. Flowers are yellow. The fruit are oval and have a knobbed surface. The fruit are 7 cm long by 3 cm across. There are many flat seeds.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It grows in wooded grassland between sea level and 1,400 m above sea level.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Botswana, East Africa, Eswatini, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Southern Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

Edible parts

Leaves

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Inshubaba, Insubaba

Synonyms

Momordica clematidea Sond.;