Wuping Green-Skinned Winter Melon

Wuping Green-Skinned Winter Melon

Wuping Green-Skinned Winter Melon is a geographical indication certification trademark.

　　Wuping Green-Skinned Winter Melon

　　Wuping County Pollution-Free Fruits and Vegetables Association

　　Winter melon (scientific name: Benincasa hispida (Thunb.) Cogn.) is an annual climbing or trellised herbaceous plant of the genus Benincasa in the Cucurbitaceae family. Its stem is covered with yellowish-brown stiff hairs and long soft hairs, with ridged grooves. The petiole is thick and sturdy, covered with coarse stiff hairs and long soft hairs. It is monoecious, with solitary flowers, and bears large, elongated cylindrical or nearly spherical fruits with coarse hairs and white bloom. The seeds are oval-shaped.

　　Winter melon is mainly distributed in other tropical and subtropical regions of Asia, and is cultivated throughout China. Wild varieties with much smaller fruits are found in southern China (Xishuangbanna, Yunnan). It is also found in eastern Australia and Madagascar.

　　In addition to being used as a vegetable, winter melon fruits can also be preserved to make various candies. The rind and seeds are used medicinally, known for their anti-inflammatory, diuretic, and anti-edematous properties.