Illustrated Compendium of Materia Medica (Vol. 6)

Compendium of Materia Medica, Volume [...] Nested Melon
original: 本草綱目 (Bencao Gangmu). This is the most famous work on Chinese herbology, compiled by Li Shizhen during the Ming Dynasty.

Nested Melon

original: 套瓜 (taogua). The name refers to the way the fruit appears to be "nested" or "encased" within another.

The Nested Melon grows in Yunnan A province in Southwest China. Its spreading vines are entirely similar to those of the pumpkin original: 金瓜 (jingua), literally "golden melon," a common term for pumpkins or squash, but the fruit itself forms in two layers.

It appears just as if a large melon were holding a small melon inside of it. The flavor is bland and it is not suitable for eating original: 不中噉 (bu zhong dan), meaning it does not meet the standard for consumption. People plant it only to serve as a curiosity or for amusement. This variety is also found in Shanxi A province in Northern China, but it is not categorized among vegetable crops.