Momordica charantia, or bitter cucumber, or Chinese bitter gourd, or karela.
An annual herbaceous vine, growing up to 4 m in length. Stems are pentagonal with longitudinal grooves and simple tendrils.
The leaves have a flattened kidney-shaped or rounded shape, deeply incised into 5-9 lobes, heart-shaped at the base. They are arranged alternately.
The flowers are unisexual, located one by one in the leaf axils. Petals are yellow, in the amount of 5.
The fruits are initially green, in the ripening phase they become bright yellow or orange, the surface is rough, with wrinkles and warts. The shape of the fruits is varied, they can be cylindrical, spindle-shaped, oval. Dimensions 3-15(40) × 2-5(8) cm.
The flesh of unripe fruits is pale green, dense, juicy, very bitter.
The seeds are uneven in shape (from flat ovoid to almost rectangular), bitter, 8-15 × 4-10 mm in size. They are located in a whitish spongy-dry pulp. The color of ripe seeds is red-brown.
The fruits are good sources of various minerals and vitamins, including carbohydrates and proteins. The plant contains polypeptides similar to insulin, and also stimulates the production of insulin, which makes it a valuable assistant in diabetes.