text: The fruit are ovoid to broadly ellipsoid, about  long by  diameter, and are covered with numerous small spines on the skin. They are initially green but turn a deep orange/red at maturity, and they contain numerous irregularly-shaped brown or grey seeds which are enclosed in a bright red aril.
  Phenology
  In the northern hemisphere this species flowers from June to August and fruit appear around August to October. In Australia, flowering occurs from December to January and fruit appear from February to April.
  Phytochemistry
  The fruit, seeds, and seed oil contain substantial amounts of beta-carotene and lycopene which collectively impart the characteristic red-orange color to the fruit's tissues. Both aril and seeds are rich in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, with oil containing 69% unsaturated fats, including 35% as polyunsaturated fats. Gac has a high concentration of linoleic acid (omega-6) and omega-3 fatty acids.
  Taxonomy
  This species was first described in 1790 by the Portuguese botanist João de Loureiro, who published it in his book Flora cochinchinensis. Loureiro gave this plant the combination Muricia cochinchinensis and noted that it was found in "Cochinchinâ, & Chinâ." In 1826 the German botanist Kurt Polycarp Joachim Sprengel transferred the species to the genus Momordica.