What looks like a watermelon...but isn't?

[N80]

I planted a food plot this spring with one of those commercial food plot mixes. It had sorghum, soy beans, sunflowers, millet, cow peas, etc etc.

But, when it all came up there were several flowering vines that came up too. They spread all over the place and started making what look like watermelons. So we were happy to have watermelons. Maybe a little more round than a watermelon, but otherwise, just a dark green watermelon. Well, as soon as one got big enough (they got bigger than a cantaloupe (sp?) but smaller than a typical watermelon) we would pick it and cut it open. Every time they would be white and fairly hard in the middle with green seeds the shape of watermelon seeds. It also looked like the interior of the melon was segmented into three segments but it is not hallow in the middle. We figured we had picked them too soon an waited. Well, I picked one yesterday which has been full sized for over 2 months now and it looks exactly the same.

So what are these things?

Sorry, no picture. I can get one this afternoon but I figured someone here would know what it was from the description.

 

[ToadHill]

Could be cantalope?

 

[Bird]

Could be cantalope?

Too big, wrong color, and not hollow in the middle to be a cantaloupe, but I sure don't know what it could be.

 

[N80]

Could be cantalope?

No, it definitely isn't a cantaloupe. Rind is different. These things look exactly like round watermelons. The rind is just like watermelon. The seeds look like greenish watermelon seeds. But there is no red in the middle. Just whitish pulp that is harder than the inside of a ripe watermelon.

I'm pretty convinced they aren't unripe watermelons though. They've been growing since mid July. The stems from the vine are brown and dry. They haven't gotten any larger in at least 45 days. No wildlife has eaten them. None have rotted or gotten soft.

 

[N80]

but I sure don't know what it could be.

I'm kinda glad because I was starting to feel like a dufus not knowing what these things are. Can't find anything using Google or Wikipedia either. Will post a picture later today.

 

[charlz]

Could be a watermelon that crossed with something else before you got the seeds. Is it sweet at all?

 

[Bird]

I would think it would be something in the gourd family, but what? An unripe yellow meat watermelon comes to mind, but not with the 3 partitions.

 

[tallyho8]

Sounds like the pumpkins I planted this year.

 

[N80]

Could be a watermelon that crossed with something else before you got the seeds. Is it sweet at all?

I guess that's possible. Have not tasted it. The middle is not really soft enough to eat. I've got one at home and I'll try tasting it when I go home for lunch. It does not smell sweet at all, smells 'green'.

Bird, I did find yellow and white meat watermelons on the internet. These could be unripe white meat watermelons but the data say they ripen in 80 days. These have been there for closer to 100.

The 'sections' are barely visible when the melon is cut in half through the circumference (not stem to bottom) and they are divided by 3 very faint, very thin 'ribs' that meet in the middle.

 

[DocHeb]

A gourd or squash?