The Family Cucurbitaceae The Cucurbitaceae plant family, also referred to as cucurbits, comprises about 100 genera and 700 species of vining plants, including cucumbers, watermelons, gourds, pumpkins, muskmelons and squash.
What other fruits are in the watermelon 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).
Are cucumbers in the watermelon family?
Watermelons and cucumbers are members of the Cucurbitaceae family, and they have similar growing needs: lots of sun, lots of room for their vines to spread (a fence, cage or trellis can help manage them in a smaller space), consistent moisture and nutrient-rich, well-draining soil.
Are watermelons related to other melons?
Both watermelon and melon are in the cucurbit family, the Cucurbitaceae. However, they are in different genera. Watermelon is Citrullus lanatus, and melon is Cucumis melo. Actually, cucumber (Cucumis sativus) and melon are more closely related than watermelon and melon.
What are melons related to?
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).
Can you have an allergic reaction to watermelon?
Though rare, watermelon allergy is possible. Watermelon is widely regarded as one of summer’s tastiest treats. A staple at picnics and cookouts, this fruit is often used to flavor juice, yogurt, and candy. Symptoms of a watermelon allergy are similar to those of other food allergies.
Is zucchini related to watermelon?
The Cucurbitaceae, also called cucurbits or the gourd family, are a plant family consisting of about 965 species in around 95 genera, of which the most important to humans are: Cucurbita – squash, pumpkin, zucchini, some gourds. Lagenaria – calabash, and others that are inedible. Citrullus – watermelon (C.
Is pineapple a type of 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.
Is cantaloupe a watermelon?
Cantaloupe and honeydew melons belong to the muskmelon family. These melons first grew in the Middle East., and there are many different varieties. Watermelon originated in Africa and has over 1,200 different varieties. You may have seen the yellow and seedless watermelons in stores recently.
What is the closest thing to a watermelon?
The best watermelon substitutes are guava, cactus fruit, red dragon fruit, pear, honeydew melon or cantaloupe, strawberries, and pineapple. Watermelon has a distinctly watery, sweet flavor that you need to simulate in your substitution. This means that if the fruit you use is not juicy, it will not taste the same way.
Is Mango a melon?
‘Mango’, also known as ‘Orange’, ‘Vegetable Orange’, and ‘Melon Apple’, is an heirloom variety of melon which is round. The skin is orange when ripe. It is generally used in cooking rather than eaten raw, and is often used in stir-frys or sliced and baked in pies. The flavor is of a lemon-brushed cucumber.
Why is a banana a berry but a strawberry isn t?
It turns out that blackberries, mulberries, and raspberries are not berries at all, but bananas, pumpkins, avocados and cucumbers are. So what makes a berry? Well, a berry has seeds and pulp (properly called “pericarp”) that develop from the ovary of a flower.
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.
What is the cousin of a watermelon?
Honeydew melon, cantaloupe, and watermelon are favorite summer fruit. Some of their vegetable cousins also ripen in summer: cucumbers, zucchini, and yellow squash.
Is a Lemon a melon?
No, lemons are not melons. Lemons are the fruit of a citrus tree while melons are grown on a vine.
Are melons cucumbers?
No, cucumbers and melons are different fruit. However, they share quite a few similarities since they both belong to the Cucurbitaceae family. These similarities include both fruits growing on trailing vines and having similar seed arrangments.
Why do I get a stomach ache after eating watermelon?
But here’s the bad news: Watermelon can also bring on big-time bloating. That’s because it’s packed with fructose, a natural sugar that is tough on our GI system because it’s hard for it to be completely absorbed. That causes gas, and sometimes an upset stomach in some people.
Is watermelon a high histamine food?
Low-histamine foods
Think “fresh.” This list includes fresh meat or poultry, fresh fish, eggs, gluten-free grains, dairy substitutes, pure peanut butter (usually tolerated even if peanuts are not), fresh herbs, mango, pear, watermelon, apple, kiwi, cantaloupe, grapes, and cooking oils.
What are the side effects of watermelon?
Watermelon is a splendid source of dietary fiber and water. But, if you eat too much watermelon, it can cause bloating, gas, flatulence, diarrhea, and other such stomach troubles. This is majorly due to the presence of sorbitol, which is a sugar compound, and lycopene, which gives the fruit its bright red color.
What is cucumber related to?
Cucurbitaceae, the gourd family of flowering plants, belonging to the order Cucurbitales and containing 98 genera and about 975 species of food and ornamental plants. Members of the family are annual or perennial herbs native to temperate and tropical areas and include cucumbers, gourds, melons, squashes, and pumpkins.
Is spaghetti squash a melon?
Spaghetti Squash. The squash and pumpkin are varieties of Cucurbita pepo, while the melons & canteloupe are varieties of Cucumis melo. The watermelon is a variety of Citrullus lanatus (var. lanatus).