[Smart Farmers] A "iron watermelon" grows on a gourd tree! How powerful is this "all-rounder" in the plant world?

Calabash tree, this mysterious name, is quite legendary in the plant world. It is a small tree belonging to the genus Calabash of the Bignoniaceae family. It is native to tropical America and is mainly distributed in Guangdong, Fujian, Hainan and Taiwan in China. Its morphological characteristics and name are impressive, but what is more interesting is its fruit - iron watermelon.

Iron watermelon is named because of its appearance similar to watermelon, but it is not actually edible as a fruit. Its fruit has a pungent smell and is slightly bitter. However, after certain processing, it can be turned into a sweet drink. This unique taste is like tasting a watermelon juice with an iron taste, so it is also vividly called "iron watermelon".

The growth rate of the gourd tree is very fast, especially the growth of the fruit. The young fruit can grow to 20 cm in just a few days, which is amazing. This growth rate also allows the fruit of the gourd tree to quickly occupy the position of the trunk, which is why when we observe, we will find that the trunk is full of fruits.

In addition to the fruit, the morphological characteristics of the gourd tree are also quite distinctive. Its flowers and fruits grow on the trunk, which is a typical feature of tropical plants. This growth method effectively shortens the nutrient transportation distance, facilitates insect pollination, and avoids the invasion of strong winds and heavy rains. At the same time, the "handle" of the gourd tree is short, but the capacity is very high. One spoon can hold more than one liter of water, which is very suitable for use as a living tool.

However, the practicality of the bottle gourd tree is not limited to this. In addition to being edible, its fruit can also be made into handicrafts and living tools. The unripe fruit has a jelly-like texture inside with many impurities suspended, but the ripe fruit can present a special "beautiful" color. This color is not only beautiful, but also has high practical value. For example, when making drinks, the fruit of the bottle gourd tree can be used to increase the taste and sweetness of the drink.

In addition to being used as food and crafts, the gourd tree has other uses. Due to its high hardness, the ripe gourd fruit can be used as a helmet, which is almost indistinguishable from the real thing. This characteristic makes the gourd tree an important resource plant in some areas.

Although the fruit of the bottle gourd tree has many uses, we also need to pay attention to some issues when eating it. First, the unripe fruit contains an irritant substance, which may cause harm to the human body if consumed too much. Therefore, be sure to confirm the maturity of the fruit before eating. Secondly, although the fruit of the bottle gourd tree has a certain hardness, it cannot be used as a long-term helmet. If overused or impacted by external force, it may cause head injuries.

From eating fruits, to making handicrafts and living tools, to using helmets, the important value of the gourd tree is reflected. At the same time, its growth rate and morphological characteristics also make it a very ornamental plant. In the future development, we can further explore more uses of the gourd tree to add more convenience and fun to human life.

Produced by: Science Popularization China, Smart Farmers, Xinglong Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, National Tropical Plant Germplasm Resource Bank, Guangming.com

Scientific review: Institute of Spice and Beverages, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences

Producer: Qin Xiaowei, Zhan Zhao

Co-ordinator: Xie Xiang, Wu Yuetong, Zhao Huiyang

Planning: Wei Lai

Guest: Huang Jingping

Filming and Production: Lai Yuhao

Copy editor: Wu Yuetong Hou Siyu (internship)