The Bitter cucumber (Momordica charantia) belongs to Cucurbitaceae (the Gourd family). It is an annual vine that is native to tropical Asia. This herb climbs up adjacent plants and the leaves are devided into lobes palmately. The yellow flowers bloom and it produces green fruits in summer. The fruit of original species sizes around the snake gourd. The young fruits are used for a vegetable that is bitter and contains a higher proportion of vitamin C. When the fruits mature, they split open and come out seeds covered with red jelly-like arils that are sweet and edible.