The tour guide once warned us: Never eat or even touch the "watermelon" in the desert. Because these watermelons contain highly toxic substances, which are five times more toxic than poisonous scorpions. If eaten by mistake, they can cause dizziness, headache, diarrhea, or even kidney failure and death.
When it comes to watermelon, no one dislikes it! In the hot summer, it would be so happy to have some pieces of iced watermelon! If you are traveling to the desert, you will be thirsty after a long journey, and when you see a large patch of watermelon in front of you, it will be like grasping at a life-saving straw. Before understanding it, many people would probably be tempted to pick it and eat it.
Below I will introduce this desert "watermelon" in detail:
Many people should be very curious, why can watermelons grow in arid and water-deficient deserts?
In fact, this is mainly because there are various kinds of creatures in the desert. When the temperature is high during the day, these creatures hide underground. When the temperature drops at night, they come out to look for food. During their activities, they produce various feces and saliva, bringing moisture and nutrients to the surface, and watermelon seeds containing moisture will grow. After the melon seedlings grow, they gradually grow up relying on the feces of various animals and other nutrients.
Just like cacti and Haloxylon ammodendron trees can grow in the desert, there are all kinds of wonders in the world, and their existence is reasonable.
In fact, the watermelon in the desert is not the watermelon we can eat in reality. The watermelon we usually eat is relatively large, with green or dark green skin and clear texture. The inside is red or bright red. The flesh is plump, juicy, sweet and delicious.
This watermelon in the desert looks very similar to watermelon. It can be said that it is a twin brother! Its scientific name is "Medicine Watermelon" and "Medicine Gourd". It is an annual or biennial vine that is poisonous and is mainly distributed in the Mediterranean, America and other places.
It is a kind of bitter melon fruit, shaped like a balloon, 3-10cm in diameter, and the skin color is generally yellow, light yellow, or milky white. The melon pulp inside is white, and the pulp is similar to sponge filling, so it doesn't weigh much when you pick it up.
If you encounter this kind of watermelon in the desert, you can tell it directly by looking at its skin and size.
Why doesn’t anyone dare to eat these desert watermelons? There are several reasons:
1. Desert "watermelon" is highly toxic.
It is said that "when something goes wrong, there must be a monster." If you can survive in such a harsh environment, then You must have two brushes! Otherwise, it would have been eaten up by other animals long ago, and it would not have been able to reproduce for thousands of years!
We have mentioned before that this desert "watermelon" contains level 5 toxins, which are five times more toxic than poisonous scorpions. What kind of concept is this? We generally classify toxicity into Level 6, with Level 1 toxicity called slightly toxic and Level 6 toxicity called highly toxic. Can you imagine how terrible the Level 5 toxins in the desert "watermelon" are?
Not only is the pulp of this desert watermelon poisonous, but its entire body, including its roots, vines, skin, pulp, and even seeds, is poisonous if you accidentally touch it. When it reaches a certain part of the body, the skin may itch, and the skin may ulcerate. If you accidentally eat its pulp, it can cause dizziness, headache, diarrhea, or kidney failure or even death.
A tourist once disobeyed the tour guide’s advice and died of poisoning by accidentally eating desert watermelon. In an uninhabited place like the desert, there is no medical equipment and the hospital is far away. Even if you are poisoned, it is difficult to get treatment.
2. Desert "watermelon" tastes bitter and waterless
Secondly, desert watermelon belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family and contains a large amount of cucurbitacin. It tastes very bitter and is not suitable for eating. It tastes like eating raw bitter melon or unripe grapefruit at home. It is difficult to swallow, and you may even not want to eat it if you smell it.
Furthermore, it grows in arid and water-deficient deserts, and the pulp retains very little water, so eating it cannot quench your thirst.
1. The protective shell formed by oneself
In a harsh environment like the desert, if you want to avoid being eaten by other herbivores, you must Have real skills. The ability of this desert watermelon is to form toxins. During its thousands of years of evolution, in order to adapt to the environment and survive of the fittest, it gradually forms toxins inside and outside its body, making other creatures afraid to approach it.
2. Toxins left by other creatures
There are various creatures in the desert, all of which are highly poisonous. When they come out to look for food at night, they will The melon vines and watermelon skin leave various toxins and saliva. For watermelon, these are nutrients, so they will be absorbed. Over time, desert watermelon will form a new toxin in the body, thus exacerbating its toxicity.
Desert "watermelon" is so scary, why do so many people still plant it on a large scale?
We all know that "medicine is one-third poison", commonly known as medicinal watermelon, then it must have medicinal value.
In the northwest and Middle East regions of our country, many experienced farmers plant this kind of medicinal watermelon on a large scale.
Because it is highly toxic, many farmers make it into pesticides, herbicides or use it to make medicinal wine. It is also dried and the seeds are separated to treat constipation.
In desert areas, the soil is poor and the wind and sand are heavy. Planting this kind of desert watermelon can not only prevent wind and fix sand, but also bring certain economic benefits. Why not?
However, its picking and planting require professional techniques and professional technicians. It must be handled well by an experienced farmer with many years of planting experience.
If you don’t know, the desert “watermelon” is enough to look fake. Under those conditions, many people may be tempted to touch or eat by mistake.
Therefore, friends who are traveling, you must prepare a strategy in advance and understand some common sense. You must also bear in mind what the tour guides and locals say, and don't "curiosity kills the cat."
Do you have any other opinions about desert watermelon? Welcome to communicate together in the comment area!