Winter Melon

An annual climbing vine in the gourd family, a summer vegetable. Harvested in summer but has a thick rind that allows storage into winter — hence the Chinese characters '冬瓜' meaning 'winter melon'. The flesh is soft and mild-flavored, well suited to simmered dishes. A seasonal word for autumn in Japanese poetry.

Identification Points

• ✓Ellipsoidal to spherical fruit covered with whitish bloom
• ✓Large heart-shaped leaves, shallowly palmately lobed
• ✓Yellow flowers, monoecious

Morphological TraitsAI-estimated, needs verification

Phylogenetic Positionウリ科 →