Bitter Gourd (Momordica Charantia) ゴーヤ（苦瓜）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Bitter gourds (Momordica charantia) are native to tropical Asia, came to Okinawa, i.e., one of the southern islands in Japan, in the early 15th century, and can now be found across Japan. The gourds are monoecious, which means they produce yellow, male and female flowers from July to August but it's easy to tell because the male has the yellow center while the female has the green center. They usually produce male flowers first to ensure the safe fertilization of the female ones. So, the ratio of male to female in early summer is about 10:1. 

Ripe orange gourds (scroll down) are edible including the red seeds and even jelly like stuff around the seeds. 

2026/8/10  A male flower

2020/8/8  Male and female flowers 雄花と雌花

Colorful Bitter Gourd カラフルゴーヤ

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

It's not a colorful doughnut. It's not a gigantic, colorful snail, either. It's a ripe bitter gourd! Bitter gourds mostly grow like the one in the third photo but they are all different like we are. The last photo is of a home bitter gourd for ants! 

A colorful bitter gourd　カラフルなゴーヤ

A home for ants　アリの家？

Sponge and Bitter Gourds ヘチマとゴーヤ

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

There is a proverb in Japan which goes "When the wind blows, barrel makers get rich." This means that when something happens, it may cause unexpected effects. And that has happened to me this morning! I got these sponge and bitter gourds because I walk and jump rope every day!! (To see the salad I made using the bitter gourds, read this post🥗!)

This morning I saw the gardener of the park in which these gourds grew. Our conversation was like this: ("M" means me and "G" means the gardener.)

M: Good morning! 

G: It's you who walk very quickly and jump rope every morning, isn't it? 

M: Yes! 

G: Do you eat bitter gourds? 

M: I love bitter gourds😀!

G: Okay, I'll give you bitter gourds as a treat!! 

M: Thank you, but I love sponge gourds, too😆!! 

G: Okay, okay.

Sadly, these days, people take bitter gourds without asking, so he apologized to me for being able to give me only small bitter gourds, but that doesn't matter. I'm very happy. If you're interested in how barrel makers get rich when the wind blows, read below. It's nonsense! (Source: Wikimedia Commons): 

1. When the wind blows, dust will be blown into people's eyes. 
2. If dust is blown into people's eyes, some people will go blind. 
3. The traditional employment for blind people in Japan was itinerant shamisen-playing story-tellers. 
4. The blind people would therefore be predicted to purchase shamisen. 
5. The skin of the shamisen is often made of cats. So if blind people increase, then cats will be killed for their skin. 
6. If cats are killed then there will be more mice. 
7. And if there are more mice, people will need to make sure that their rice is kept in barrels. 
8. So they will order barrels. 
9. Barrel makers will get rich.

Sponge and bitter gourds　ヘチマとゴーヤ 

Artona Martini (Bamboo Moth) 竹細黒羽（タケノホソクロバ）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

A tiny black bug on a bright yellow bitter gourd flower on the background of bright green gourd leaves caught my eye. The bug is Artona martini or more commonly known as bamboo moth. The moth is beautiful and its caterpillars, which are also beautiful, have thin poisonous hairs. 

2022/9/8

2022/9/8

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ゴーヤの緑（葉）と黄色（花）に黒い虫がとっても映えてました。虫は竹細黒羽（タケノホソクロバ）です。名前からは分かりませんが蛾の一種です。幼虫の毛には毒があるそうです。

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