Part of speech: noun

Structure: bitter (upper and lower structure) melon (single structure)

Quote and explanation: Li Shizhen's Compendium of Materia Medica-Bitter Melon is quoted as saying that "Bitter Melon originated in Nanfan and is now planted in Fujian and Guangxi." The fourth time in the Scholars, "In addition, Guangdong soft fish and bitter gourd also make two bowls."

explain

Plant name, Cucurbitaceae Momordica, an annual creeping weed. The stem is slender, tendrils, and leaves are deeply divided. Small yellow flowers in summer are monoecious. The fruit is very long, and it is still called bitter gourd. When young, it is blue and white, when mature, it is orange-yellow, with bitter flesh and many protruding tumors on the epidermis, so it is also called bitter gourd.

It has been cultivated in China for a long time, not only for ornamental purposes, but also for vegetables. Bitter gourd is widely planted in Guangdong, Guangxi, Fujian, Taiwan Province, Hunan and Sichuan provinces. Bitter gourd is heat-resistant, with few pests and diseases, and easy to cultivate. In recent years, it has been cultivated in large and medium-sized cities as an anti-season vegetable variety in summer and autumn.