(1) Roots

The root system of gourd melon is shallow, the regeneration ability is weak, the lateral roots are developed, and the lateral extension ability is strong, generally up to about 3m. Some varieties have high fertility levels. It can extend to 4m in sandy loam soil with good permeability. The hypocotyls (the part of the rhizome below the cotyledons) of the gourd can produce adventitious roots in the soil. Especially when the old roots are damaged, they can produce multiple lateral roots and play a good replacement role. The vertical extension ability of roots of different varieties is also different. Generally, the root system of long gourds is shallow, and the main root group is distributed vertically at about 20cm. The regeneration ability is weak, and it is difficult to resume growth after root damage. The round gourd has a deeper root system, reaching more than 25cm, and has strong drought resistance. However, their waterlogging tolerance is poor.

(2) Stems

The gourd stems are spreading and have strong branching ability. Especially when the main stem is damaged, it will quickly produce multiple side vines. When the top of the side vines is damaged, Later, when the supply of fertilizer and water is sufficient, sun vines can grow on the side vines... The stems are pentagonal in cross-section and have fine stinging hairs on the epidermis. The internode of the 1st to 5th leaf nodes above the cotyledons of gourd melon is particularly short, which is the node position before the main stem changes from upright to prostrate. Among them, the lateral vines appearing in the third to fifth internode have the strongest growth advantage.

The length of the internode of gourd stems and vines varies depending on the variety and cultivation conditions, but each node has a flower primordium, root primordium, lateral branch primordium and bract primordium; such as climbing the ground During cultivation, the stems in contact with the ground or close to the ground can produce 1 to 3 adventitious roots, which have strong ability to absorb fertilizer and water.

(3) Leaves

The leaves of gourd gourd are large and thin, single leaves alternate, heart-shaped or kidney-shaped, undivided or slightly lobed, with small teeth on the leaf margin and petiole. Long, with two glands at the top and hairs on the leaves. The leaves at the base are smaller, and most varieties have entire leaves, commonly known as plate leaves. Later, as the vines expand, the leaf area increases, and the unique shape of the variety appears. The size of the leaves and the length of the petiole vary with different varieties.

Gourd is a light-loving crop, and its internodes and petioles will elongate rapidly under weak light conditions. The leaves of gourd melons have a large amount of transpiration and have high requirements for fertilizer and water. If the fertilizer and water are not satisfied, it will lead to an increase in deformed melons.

(4) Flowers

The gourd melon flowers are white, solitary, with long pedicels; the male flower receptacle is funnel-shaped, about 2cm long, the calyx lobes are lanceolate, about 3mm long, and the corolla lobes Wrinkled and wavy, covered with pubescent or sticky hairs, 3 to 4 cm long, 2 to 3 cm wide, with 3 stamens and irregularly bent chambers; the calyx and corolla of female flowers resemble male flowers. Dioecious flowers on the same plant, insect-pollinated flowers, cross-pollination. Both male and female flowers begin to bloom gradually in the evening. At 8 or 9 o'clock the next day, the corolla wilts, and the pistils and pollen also lose their vitality. This is where the name "night blooming" comes from. Most of the varieties bear female flowers on the side vines earlier than the main vines. In addition to female flowers, the side vines can also bear male flowers. There are significant differences in the appearance time, node position, number, and proportion of male and female flowers among different varieties. Generally, male flowers appear earlier than female flowers, and the differentiation and development of their flower buds advance sequentially from low nodes to high nodes as the melon vines stretch. Sometimes female flowers may appear 2 to 3 days earlier than male flowers, but the first female flower may appear 2 to 3 days earlier than the male flowers. The nutritional area is too small and most of them are ineffective flowers with no value of preservation. When gourds bloom and enter the peak flowering stage, 2 to 3 female flowers will bloom at the same time without pruning.

5) Fruit

The ovary (young fruit) of the female flower of gourd begins to elongate and thicken on the second day after fertilization, but the main elongation is elongation, and the fruit stalk also elongates accordingly. . Not all female flowers will develop or develop into ideal commercial melons after fertilization. This is closely related to the quality of the female flowers, the number of leaves on the plant at the time of fertilization, the size of the leaf area, the supply of fertility, the absorptive capacity of the root system, and the prevailing climate conditions. It is also closely related to the number of young melons that begin to develop. Generally, the number of young melons that can expand normally at the same time is 2, and the remaining young melons will stop developing within 1 to 2 days after fertilization.

Young gourd melons develop quickly, and most varieties are ready for consumption 10 to 15 days after flowering. The melon shape of a mature melon can be roughly determined based on the ovary shape of the female flowers. Therefore, its characteristic of having more female flowers can be fully utilized in production, and female flowers that do not meet the requirements or have deformed ovaries can be removed early.

The shape of gourd melons varies with different varieties. There are long cylindrical, short cylindrical, cylindrical, club-shaped, straight or slightly curved (gourd), round, long-necked (gourd), and There are gourds with a thin middle and enlarged lower and upper parts (thin-waisted gourds) or gourds with a thin middle and lower parts larger than the upper parts (ornamental gourds). The surface of gourd melon has white hairs, and the density of the hairs is related to the variety.

The peels are white, light green, green, etc., and are related to the amount of light received during cultivation. Generally, the color of the backlit surface is lighter, while the ground surface of climbing cultivation is mostly yellow-white. The flesh of gourd melons is white, and a single melon weighs 0.2-4kg. Older melons are not edible.

(6) Seeds

The gourd melon enters the mature stage about 40 days after fruit setting, the hair gradually recedes, the peel turns white or yellowish brown, the size of the fruit is basically finalized, and the shell becomes increasingly hard; Most melon seeds reach physiological maturity after 50 days. After picking, the seeds need to be piled for 1 to 2 weeks before they are fully mature. The time for seed maturation is closely related to the variety and the temperature during fruit development.

Gourd seeds are flat, but their shapes vary greatly, including oval, spindle, pointed triangle, etc. Long gourd seeds have a hairy shell, while gourd seeds have hairless or sparse and short seeds. Most varieties have two pairs of symmetrical protruding points above the germination holes. The amount, presence or absence of hair on the seeds, and the color of the seeds are also related to the stacking time of the melons after they are planted; long gourd seeds that are not fully stacked and ripened may also be hairless and light in color; gourd seeds that are stacked for too long may also appear More hair. The kernel (cotyledons) of normal seeds should be white. The size of the seeds of gourd varies greatly depending on the varieties. Generally, the weight of 1,000 seeds is about 125g ("Zhejiang Encyclopedia of Efficient Agriculture - Hugu", 1999).