Cucurbitaceae FAMILY

Cucumis melo

Edibility

4/5

Medicinal

2/5

Safety & Hazards

The sprouting seed produces a toxic substance in its embryo[ 65 Title A Colour Atlas of Poisonous Plants. Publication Author Frohne. D. and Pfänder. J. Publisher Wolfe Year 1984 ISBN 0723408394 Description Brilliant. Goes into technical details but in a very readable way. The best work on the subject that I've come across so far. ].

Botanical Description

Cucumis melo is a climbing annual plant, producing stems around 1.5 metres long that sprawl along the ground or into other plants where they attach themselves by means of tendrils. The plant is widely cultivated for its edible fruit, in both gardens and commercially, from the warm temperate zone to tropical areas.

Habitat & Origin

Origintemperate; tropical

Native RangeProbably native of Asia, though it has been in cultivation for so long its native habitat is obscure

HabitatNot known in a truly wild situation, though sometimes found as a weed of cultivated fields[ 93 Title Flora of Turkey. Publication Author Davis. P. H. Publisher Edinburgh University Press Year 1965 ISBN - Description Not for the casual reader, this is an immense work in many volumes. Some details of plant uses and habitats. ], probably as an escape from gardens.