Melon originated in southern Africa and has many wild relatives there. Related species include cucumber (Cucumis sativus ), the West Indian gherkin (Cucumis anguria ), and the horned cucumber (Cucumis metuliferus ).
What foods are in the melon family?
The Melon Family, Cucurbitaceae, is a plant family commonly known as melons, gourds or cucurbits and includes crops like cucumbers, squashes (including pumpkins), luffas, melons (including watermelons).
Watermelon is a member of the cucurbitaceae plant family of gourds (classified as Citrullus lantus), related to the cucumber, squash, and pumpkin (Maynard, 2001). It is planted from seeds or seedlings, harvested, and then cleared from the field like other vegetables.
What is the cousin of a watermelon?
cucumbers
Honeydew melon, cantaloupe, and watermelon are favorite summer fruit. Some of their vegetable cousins also ripen in summer: cucumbers, zucchini, and yellow squash.
What is classified as a melon?
A melon is any of various plants of the family Cucurbitaceae with sweet, edible, and fleshy fruit. The word “melon” can refer to either the plant or specifically to the fruit. Botanically, a melon is a kind of berry, specifically a “pepo”.
What causes a melon allergy?
OAS is more common in teenagers and young adults. It typically doesn’t appear in young children. Allergy to ragweed pollen. You may experience a reaction when eating foods associated with ragweed pollen, such as melons (including cantaloupe), bananas, zucchini, cucumbers, and sunflower seeds.
Plants in the cucurbit (gourd) family include melons, pumpkins, squash and cucumbers. Each of those different cucurbits includes plants of different species and genera (plural of genus).
Cucumbers are actually a fruit — and they belong to the same family as watermelon. Aside from their size and the thickness of their outer rind, one of the main differences between the two is the level of sweetness. Cucumbers are mild and refreshing, watermelons are much sweeter.
Members of the cucumber family, known as cucurbits, can be planted now. They include summer squash, zucchini, winter squash, mirliton, pumpkin, gourd, cucuzzi, watermelon, cantaloupe, cushaw, luffa and, of course, cucumber. All of these vegetables produce vines that run along the ground or climb.
Is papaya in the melon family?
1 Origin, botany, morphology and structure. The papaya (Carica papaya L.) belongs to the family Caricaceae. It is often called ‘pawpaw’ in Australia and ‘tree melon’ in some other countries, but it is different from the North American ‘pawpaw’ (Asimina triloba Dunal), which is a member of the family Annonaceae.
What else is in the watermelon family?
list of plants in the family Cucurbitaceae
- bottle gourd (Lagenaria siceraria)
- bur cucumber (genus Sicyos)
- bryony (genus Bryonia)
- genus Citrullus. colocynth (C. colocynthis) watermelon (C. lanatus)
- chayote (Sechium edule)
- genus Cucumis. cucumber (C. sativus) gherkin (C.
- loofah (genus Luffa)
- musk cucumber (Sicana odorifera)
Is pineapple a melon?
Ananas melons, botanically classified as Cucumis melo, are sweet fruits belonging to the reticulatus group, which encompasses melons with rinds covered in a rough netting. Ananas in French and Italian translates to mean “pineapple,” and the melon reived its tropical name from its sweet, floral taste and aroma.
Cantaloupe is in the same family as squashes, pumpkins, gourds and cucumbers. It grows on a vine on the ground. The difference between a cantaloupe and a squash is in the way we use them. Squashes are eaten as vegetables, while cantaloupes are thought of as a sweet fruit.
How many types of melon are there?
MelonRepresentative species
What is melon good for?
Some key health benefits of this delicious melon include:
Carotenoids: a powerful antioxidant that helps maintain healthy eye function. Folates: important for healthy growth and maintenance of cells within the body. Vitamin C and Potassium: see honeydew information.
What do all melons have in common?
Melons are about 90% water and 8% fruit sugars. Carotenoids give the flesh different colours and also indicate antioxidant content.
Why does my throat hurt after eating melon?
Oral allergy syndrome causes a watermelon allergy. It happens when you have a pollen allergy that cross-reacts with specific proteins in some fruits and vegetables, including watermelon. Symptoms are immediate and localized and include itching and tingling in the mouth and throat.
What foods cause itching?
When it comes to food allergies, peanuts, wheat, eggs, cow’s milk, soy and shellfish are among the most common culprits. The itchiness caused by these foods and subsequent scratching can then lead to flare-ups or worsening of dermatitis symptoms.
What are the side effects of eating cantaloupe?
If there is too much potassium to process at once, you can develop a condition known as hyperkalemia. Having too much potassium in your blood increases your risk of a heart attack. Eating too much cantaloupe may also be hard on your intestines and cause diarrhea, stomach cramps, and other digestive problems.
Is a tomato a melon?
To a botanist, a fruit is an entity that develops from the fertilized ovary of a flower. This means that tomatoes, squash, pumpkins, cucumbers, peppers, eggplants, corn kernels, and bean and pea pods are all fruits; so are apples, pears, peaches, apricots, melons and mangos.
Is a zucchini a melon?
Zucchini, Cucurbita pepo, is a member of the cucumber and melon family and is harvested while immature, making the rind tender and edible, like all summer squashes. Botanically, zucchini is a fruit, but it’s treated as a vegetable.
Lorraine Wade is all about natural food. She loves to cook and bake, and she’s always experimenting with new recipes. Her friends and family are the lucky beneficiaries of her culinary skills! Lorraine also enjoys hiking and exploring nature. She’s a friendly person who loves to chat with others, and she’s always looking for ways to help out in her community.