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head, with dark green skin and generally red pulp and black
seeds. As the pulp contains plenty sweet liquid, it is eaten fresh,,
and when young it is preserved in salt and eaten as pickles. There
are several sorts of colours and forms.
246. Citrullus edulis, Spach., var., Jap. Shiro-suikwu /
a variety of the preceding. The fruit has a white skin, yellow
pulp> and red seeds.
247. Cucumis melo, L., Melon, Jap. Makuwa-uri ; an
annual cultivated climber of the order Cucurbitaceae. It is produced
much in the village Makuwa in the province Mino, whence
the name is derived. The male and female flowers are separately
on the same vine. The fruits ripen in mid-summer. They are
ova]-shaped, about 5 inches long, and of a yellow colour, with
longitudinal stripes. They are eaten 1 or 2 days after having
been collected, and are very sweet and delicious. There are
several varieties of different colours and forms.
248. Cucumis melo, L., van, Jap. Ginmakuwa-urt,
Ginmakuwa ; a variety of the melon with large fruits of a green
rough skin. It is inferior in taste to the preceding.
249. Momordica charantia, L. y
Jap. Tsnru-reishz,
Niga-uri ; an annual cultivated climber of the order Cucurbitaceae.
The male and female flowers are separately on the same
vine. The fruit ripens in summer. It is green, about 4 inches
long and 2i inches in diameter, and covered with irregular warts.
It turns yellow when ripe, and bursts at the top and exposes
several red pulpy seeds of the size of a finger. The plup i&
beautifully red, soft, and sweet, containing peculiar seeds. In the
provinces of Kinshiu there is a variety with a long fruit about 2
fts.
long called Nan-reishi (long reis/ii).
The young fruits are
eaten as vegetables.
Note. The varieties of fruits here mentioned are only a few
selected ones. Murne-plums, apricots, peaches, plums, and
especially pears, persimmons, and oranges have a great many
varieties which are too numerous to ba mentioned respectively in