Botanical Name: Cucumis melo inodorus
Family: Cucurbitaceae
Kingdom: Plantae
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Cucurbitales
Genus: Cucumis
Common Names:Honeydew Melon, Honey I Dew Honeydew, Honeydew,Honeymelon
Vernacular Names:
Hindi:Kharabooza
German: Honigtau
French:Miellat
Spanish:Gotas de miel
Greek: Pepóni melitómatos
Portuguese:: Melão de Honeydew
Polish: Melon spadzi
Latin:Honeydew
Habitat :
Honeydew is native to Central Asia but long grown in France, were introduced into the US in the 1900s. This gorgeous, lime-green-fleshed melon updates this class with high yields of large, flavorful fruits. Certified Organic Seed.
Description:
Cucumis melo inodorus is a annual climber growing to 1.5 m (5ft).
It is in flower from July to September, and the seeds ripen from August to October. The species is monoecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but both sexes can be found on the same plant) and is pollinated by Insects. The plant is self-fertile.
Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil.
Cultivation:
Requires a rich, well-drained moisture retentive soil and a warm, very sunny position. A frost-tender annual plant, the honeydew melon is widely cultivated in gardens and commercially, especially in warmer climates than Britain, for its edible fruit. Some varieties may succeed outdoors in Britain in hot summers but in general it is best to grow melons under protection in this country. Grows well with corn and sunflowers but dislikes potatoes. The weeds fat hen and sow thistle improve the growth and cropping of melons.
Edible Uses:
Fruits are eaten raw. Very watery but with a delicate sweet flavour. Unlike the cantaloupe melon it is not aromatic. A very refreshing fruit, especially on a hot day. Rich in vitamins B and C. The flesh of the fruit can be dried, ground into a powder and used with cereals when making bread, biscuits etc. The size of the fruit varies widely between cultivars but is up to 10cm long and 7cm wide. Seed – raw. Rich in oil with a nutty flavour but very fiddly to use because the seed is small and covered with a fibrous coat. The seed contains between 12.5 – 39.1% oil. An edible oil is obtained from the seed.
Medicinal Uses:
The fruits can be used as a cooling light cleanser or moisturiser for the skin. They are also used as a first aid treatment for burns and abrasions. The flowers are expectorant and emetic. The fruit is stomachic. The seed is antitussive, digestive, febrifuge and vermifuge. When used as a vermifuge, the whole seed complete with the seed coat is ground into a fine flour, then made into an emulsion with water and eaten. It is then necessary to take a purge in order to expel the tapeworms or other parasites from the body. The root is diuretic and emetic.
Disclaimer : The information presented herein is intended for educational purposes only. Individual results may vary, and before using any supplement, it is always advisable to consult with your own health care provider.
Resources:
https://gardenplants.comparespecies.com/en/scientific-name-of-honeydew/model-1267-9
https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Cucumis+melo+inodorus
