Horned melon

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Fruit sliced transversely
Plant Info
Common name(s): {{{common_names}}} Growth habit: {{{growth_habit}}} Height: ⇕ {{{high}}} Width: ⇔ {{{wide}}} Lifespan: ⌛ {{{lifespan}}} Exposure: ☼ {{{exposure}}} Water: ☂ {{{water}}} Features: ❀ {{{features}}} Poisonous: ☠ {{{poisonous}}} Hardiness: ❆ {{{hardiness}}} USDA Zones: {{{usda_zones}}} Sunset Zones: {{{sunset_zones}}}
Scientific classification
Domain: {{{domain}}} Superkingdom: {{{superregnum}}} Kingdom: Plantae Subkingdom: {{{subregnum}}} Superdivision: {{{superdivisio}}} Superphylum: {{{superphylum}}} Division: Magnoliophyta Phylum: {{{phylum}}} Subdivision: {{{subdivisio}}} Subphylum: {{{subphylum}}} Infraphylum: {{{infraphylum}}} Microphylum: {{{microphylum}}} Nanophylum: {{{nanophylum}}} Superclass: {{{superclassis}}} Class: Magnoliopsida Sublass: {{{subclassis}}} Infraclass: {{{infraclassis}}} Superorder: {{{superordo}}} Order: Cucurbitales Suborder: {{{subordo}}} Infraorder: {{{infraordo}}} Superfamily: {{{superfamilia}}} Family: Cucurbitaceae Subfamily: {{{subfamilia}}} Supertribe: {{{supertribus}}} Tribe: {{{tribus}}} Subtribe: {{{subtribus}}} Genus: Cucumis Subgenus: {{{subgenus}}} Section: {{{sectio}}} Series: {{{series}}} Species: C. metuliferus Subspecies: {{{subspecies}}}
[[{{{diversity_link}}}|Diversity]]
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Binomial name
Cucumis metuliferus E. Mey
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Synonyms
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The horned melon, also called melano, African horned cucumber or melon, jelly melon, hedged gourd, English tomato, or kiwano, is a vine of African origin, grown for its fruit, which looks like an oval melon with horns, and is very decorative. Native only to the region of the Kalahari desert, it is now grown in California and New Zealand.

When picked green and allowed to ripen to an orange color, the fruit tastes like a mix of cucumber and kiwifruit, and when fully ripe has an orange rind with spikes. The yellow-green flesh has a gelatinous consistency and contains whitish seeds similar to those of a cucumber. When picked fully ripe, it has a banana-like taste. Its construction is similar to passion fruit or pomegranates.

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  Whole ripe horned melon.

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  Fruit sliced longitudinally.

External links

• New crop fact sheet from Purdue
• Cooking For Engineers - Off Topic: African Horned Melon or Kiwano
• Kiwano, Banana, and Pineapple Sorbet