Stats

Lifespan: Annual
Size: Medium
Diet: Photosynthetic
Biome: Tropical rainforest
Range: Southeast Asia
Movement: Climbing
Breeding: Seeds
Defense: Toxins
Status: Common

About

Bitter melon is a tropical vine prized across Asian, African, and Caribbean cuisines for its sharply warty green fruit. The fruit's intense bitterness comes from a unique compound called momordicin, and it's one of the most bitter vegetables eaten anywhere in the world.

Life cycle

1.
seed
A dormant seed waits for water and warmth before germinating.
2.
sprout
A first shoot emerges with cotyledon leaves and a tap root reaching down.
3.
sapling
A young plant grows true leaves and a stem or trunk, putting on height each season.
4.
mature
Fully grown, flowering or fruiting at adult size.

Learn more

Taxonomy

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Cucurbitales
Family: Cucurbitaceae
Genus: Momordica
Species: Momordica charantia