“MELANCIA” = “WATERMELON” = ‘CITRULLUS LANATUS’, family ‘Cucurbitaceae’ can be both the fruit and the plant of a vine-like (scrambler and trailer) plant originally from southern Africa, and is one of the most common types of melon. The MELANCIA fruit, loosely considered a type of melon (although not in the genus Cucumis), has a smooth exterior rind (green, yellow and sometimes white) and a juicy, sweet interior flesh (usually pink, but sometimes orange, yellow, red and sometimes green if not ripe). It is also commonly used to make a variety of salads, most notably fruit salad. A MELANCIA contains about 6% sugar and 92% water by weight. As with many other fruits, it is a source of vitamin C. It is not known when the plant was first cultivated, only evidence of its cultivation in the NILE Valley from at least as early as the second millenium BC. Although MELANCIA is not depicted in any Egyptian hieroglyphic text nor does any ancient writer mention it, finds of the characteristically large seed are reported in Twelfth Dinasty sites; numerous MELANCIA seeds were recovered from the tomb of Pharao Tutankhamun. By the 10th century AD, MELANCIAs were being cultivated in China, which is today the world's single largest watermelon producer. Notable is the inner rind of the watermelon, which is usually a light green or white color. This area is edible and contains many hidden nutrients that most people avoid eating due to its unappealing flavor. MELANCIAs contain a significant amount of citrulline and after consumption of several kg, an elevated concentration is measured in the blood plasma; this could be mistaken for citrullinaemia or other urea cycle disorders. MELANCIA rinds are also edible, and sometimes used as a vegetable. In China, they are stir-fried, stewed, or more often pickled. MELANCIA juice can also be made into wine. MELANCIA is also mildly diuretic, contain large amounts of beta carotene and with red flesh is a significant source of lycopene. Yes, we have MELANCIA in the PANTANAL…