Week 3 Friday 6th February 2009 Mystery Fruit Answers

Fruit 1 – Honeydew Melon Cucumis melo – One serving of honeydew melon provides an excellent source of Vitamin C and Vitamin A Little is known about the origin of honeydew. The word honeydew is derived from the French variety, White Antibes, which was cultivated in Southern France and Algeria. One of the earliest records of melons is found in an Egyptian tomb dating from 2400 B.C. Melons are part of the gourd family. How Do Melons Grow? Melons are a warm-weather annual plant sensitive to cold temperatures at any stage of growth. In fact, seeded melons germinate best under hotter temperatures, up to 95 F, and can tolerate temperatures in excess of 100 F.

Fruit 2 – Watermelon Watermelon is a Fruit Watermelon is the fruit of a plant originally from a vine of southern Africa. The watermelon fruit, loosely considered a type of melon (although not in the genus Cucumis), has a smooth exterior rind and a juicy, sweet, usually red interior flesh. Watermelon is Also a Vegetable According to Webster’s dictionary a vegetable is anything made or obtained from plants (2004). Watermelon is a member of the cucurbitaceae plant family of gourds (classified as Citrullus Lantus), related to the cucumber, squash, and pumpkin (Maynard, 2001). It is planted from seeds or seedlings, harvested, and then cleared from the field like other vegetables. Since watermelon is grown as a vegetable crop using vegetable production systems, watermelon is considered a vegetable (Wolford, 2004).

Fruit 3 – Cantaloupe Melon Scientific Name:     Cucumis melo The fruit names cantaloupe and muskmelon are used somewhat interchangeably. What is generally called cantaloupe in the west is really a muskmelon, characterized by a webbed surface. Cantaloupes have a smooth and lumpy skin with deep ridges. Cantaloupes were cultivated in Egypt's Nile valley as early as 2000 B.C. Did you know that cantaloupes and melons are in the same gourd family as squashes and cucumbers. Most melons have similar structure to winter squash with thick flesh and inner seed-filled midsection. The difference between melons and squashes is very simply, it's the way that they are used. Squashes are considered vegetables, while cantaloupe melon is fruit, with sweet and juicy flavour. Cantaloupes have significant amounts of Vitamins A and C, are a good source of potassium, and contain small amounts of many other minerals. The rind is rich in nutrients so the whole melon may be juiced. In places with a suitable climate, cantaloupes may be grown all year long. However, extra care must be taken for winter varieties as they are particularly susceptible to disease.

Will you be able to guess the fruits next week Will you be able to guess the fruits next week? The answers will be online from break time on Friday.