text: Gac, from the Vietnamese  (), scientific name Momordica cochinchinensis, is a species of plant in the melon and cucumber family Cucurbitaceae which is native to countries throughout Southeast Asia and to Queensland, Australia. It is notable for its vivid orange-reddish color resulting from its rich content of beta-carotene and lycopene.
  Description
  Momordica cochinchinensis is a perennial tendril climber which may reach up to  long and a stem diameter up to . The palmate leaves have 3 to 5 lobes and are carried on a petiole (leaf stem) measuring  long. They are arranged alternately on the stems and measure up to  wide and long.
  This species is dioecious, meaning that male and female flowers are borne on separate plants. The inflorescence on a male plant consists of either a solitary flower or a raceme up to  long, while female flowers are solitary. All flower buds are fully enclosed by bracts, which split open as the flower matures. The mature flowers have five yellowish petals and a black centre.