Bitter melon

Key West Field Guide, vegetable

Momordica charantia

Find more info here.

Momordica charantia female flower

Momordica charantia new flower bud

Momordica charantia day old female flower

Momordica charantia leaf

Momordica charantia fruit with insect tunneling evidence

Momordica charantia fruit showing seeds

Momordica charantia empty fruit husk

Momordica charantia flowers

ru•der•al:

vegetable, vo•cab•u•lar•y

(adj.) growing in disturbed areas, on waste ground, or among rubbish

I live on a 2×4 mile chunk of dead coral that protrudes only 18 feet above the ocean. The cost of living is exorbitant and the competition for housing is fierce for both people and plants. Many of our most common wildflowers aren’t much different than the humans in Key West—we both put a lot of creativity and effort into living in paradise.

a•pet•a•lous

Key West Field Guide, vegetable, vo•cab•u•lar•y

(adj.) having no petals

Diclesium / Anthocarp fruits of the Four O’Clock family

A different kind of flower

At only 2mm across, neither my 30x loupe nor my extension tubes helped me observe that there are no petals in this tiny bloom.