Horned melon

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iHorned melon
Fruit sliced transversely
Fruit sliced transversely
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Cucurbitales
Family: Cucurbitaceae
Genus: Cucumis
Species: C. metuliferus
Binomial name
Cucumis metuliferus
E. Mey

The horny melon, also called melano, African horned cucumber or melon, jelly melon, hedged gourd, English tomato, or kiwano (a registered trademark of New Zealand's Prinut Inc.), is a vine of African origin, grown for its fruit, which looks like an oval melon with horns and is very decorative. Once native only to the region of the Kalahari desert, the horned melon is now grown in California and New Zealand as well.

When picked green, and allowed to ripen to an orange color, the fruit tastes like a mix of cucumber, lemon, lime and banana. The fully ripe melon has a orange rind with spikes. The yellow-green flesh has a gelatinous consistency and contains whitish seeds similar to those of a cucumber.

Whole ripe horned melon
Enlarge
Whole ripe horned melon
Fruit sliced longitudinally
Enlarge
Fruit sliced longitudinally

Nutrition Facts

Nutrition Value % Daily Value

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