Edible Plants of the World

Melon, Canteloupe, Honey-dew

Melon, Canteloupe, Honey-dew

A tropical plant. It is not suited to places with high rainfall. They suit hot dry places with a fertile well drained soil. It needs a sheltered sunny position. It is drought and frost tender. A temperature range of 24-28°C is best but much higher temperatures is tolerated. Mostly they are grown below 500 m altitude in the tropics. In PNG it has been recorded up to 2,100 m above sea level. A pH of 6-6.7 is best. Acid soils are not suitable. It can grow in deserts and arid places. It suits hardiness zones 9-12.

Also known as:

Akobokobo, Akolil, Andawk, Atimon, 'Atiu, Bangi, Blewah, Bluwak, Budamakaya, Chibar, Chibbarh, Chibhar, Chiratu, Chukkangai, Gagalum, Itimon, Kaachri, Kachri, Karal, Karitu, Kayimbe, Kharbuja, Kharbujadosa, Kharmuj, Kothimdu, Luwinbe, Madhupaka, Meble, Milon, Mitero, Mpombe, Mulampazham, Musk-melon, Putzakova, Sane, Semangka londo, Syrian cucumber, Taena-thai, Teeng laay, Thakwa-hmwe, Thoithe suri, Thumattikai, Trasak srow, Ulkuta, Wunbut

Synonyms

Edible Portion

Where does Melon grow?

Found in: Afghanistan, Africa, Amazon, American Samoa, Angola, Arabia, Aruba, Asia, Australia, Bangladesh, Benin, Botswana, Brazil, British Indian Ocean Terr., BIOT, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Caucasus, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Cook Islands, Côte d'Ivoire, Cuba, Dominican Republic, East Africa, East Timor, Egypt, Equatorial-Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Fiji, France, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Greece, Guam, Guiana, Guianas, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Hawaii, Himalayas, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Ivory Coast, Japan, Kenya, Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Liberia, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mediterranean, Mexico, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, North Africa, North America, Northeastern India, Pacific, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, PNG, Peru, Philippines, Portugal, Reunion, Romania, Rwanda, SE Asia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Sikkim, Somalia, South Africa, Southern Africa, Spain, South Africa, Southern Africa, South America, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Tasmania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, Uruguay, United States, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, West Africa, West Indies, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Notes: There are about 25 Cucumis species.

Status: Only occasionally seen in Papua New Guinea. They are common in Africa both wild and cultivated.

Growing Melon, Canteloupe, Honey-dew

Cultivation: They are grown from seed. The seeds are planted about 1-4 cm deep. Plants need to be 1-2 m apart. Seedlings can be transplanted when about 10-15 cm high.

Edible Uses: The ripe fruit are eaten raw. They are also dried, candied and made into jams, jellies and preserves. The seeds are sometimes eaten. They are roasted. The seeds are blended with fruit juice to form a drink. Sometimes the immature fruit are cooked as a vegetable. The seeds contain an edible light oil. The young leaves are eaten as a potherb.

Production: Plants are ready 3-4 months after planting. Yields of 20 kg per10 sq m is average.

Nutrition Info

per 100g edible portion

Edible Part Energy (kcal) Protein (g) Iron (mg) Vitamin A (ug) Vitamin c (mg) Zinc (mg) % Water
Fruit 26 0.5 0.4 300 30 0.2 93
Leaves 41 4.2 - 72 - - 85
Seed 555 15.8 - - - - 7

Melon, Canteloupe, Honey-dew Photos

Melon, Canteloupe, Honey-dew Melon, Canteloupe, Honey-dew Melon, Canteloupe, Honey-dew Melon, Canteloupe, Honey-dew Melon, Canteloupe, Honey-dew

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