(Momordica) Momordica belongs to the cucumber family, Cucurbitaceae. M. charantia, Balsam Pear, Bitter Cucumber, La-Kwa, or Bitter Melon, is a tender, tropical perennial grown as an annual. They are luscious, high-climbing vines with slightly fuzzy stems clothed with dark green, deeply lobed leaves and yellow, dioecious (male & female organs on...