Bitter Gourd (Momordica cardiospermoides)

 Family Cucurbitaceae

This climber has a foetid smell, but makes up for it with showy orange-yellow flowers and large, fleshy, bulging orange-red ripe fruits that will attract birds to your garden.

 Distribution

M. cardiospermoides occurs from Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Botswana down to Swaziland and South Africa where it is found in the Limpopo, North-West, Gauteng and Mpumalanga provinces and in the Ingwavuma district in northern KwaZulu-Natal.

 This species grows in well-drained sandy and sandy loam soil, among rocks on granite/gneiss outcrops, also on flat areas, along river banks and roadsides. It will grow in full sun, but prefers semi-shade among trees and shrubs. It is found in various types of woodland, savanna and wooded grassland vegetation and climbs onto all kinds of trees and shrubs, also on hedges and wire fences.

 The Cucurbitaceae consists of about 120 genera and 735 species that are cosmopolitan in mostly tropical and subtropical countries. Many species are cultivated and of economic importance as food plants such as cucumber, melon, pumpkin and watermelon. Members of this family are annual or perennial herbs or shrubs (only one species is a tree). The leaves are alternate and variable and tendrils are almost always present. The flowers are mostly unisexual and white or yellow; they occur on the same plant (monoecious) or on separate plants (dioecious). The fruit often is an indehiscent berry (soft-shelled) or gourd (hard-shelled) with one to many, often flattened seeds. There are about 18 genera and 75 species of this family in southern Africa.

 Ecology

M. cardiospermoides grows from about 120- 1 100 m above sea level in areas with an annual rainfall of about 400-1 200 mm. Based on the information on specimen labels in the National Herbarium (PRE), the flowering time is from about November to April, but mainly from November to January, while the fruiting time is also from about November to April but mainly in April. Birds will certainly eat the brightly coloured and fleshy ripe fruit.


Most observers agree that M. cardiospermoides has a disagreeable smell, but a few collectors described the plant as fragrant!

 Uses and cultural aspects

In some areas the leaves of M. cardiospermoides are regarded as edible and cooked as a spinach, as stated on the label of the specimen Barnard 211 in PRE, which was collected in Mpumalanga. Another specimen in PRE, Moss BMP678, grew in a herbalist's garden in Botswana, where it was used medicinally. The fresh or dried roots were cooked and drunk for boils. Dlamini (1981) also listed M. cardiospermoides as a medicinal plant as well as a plant with edible leaves in his publication on the Swaziland flora.