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Part of the gourd family, the watermelon is a large, sweet fruit that grows on a vine. Watermelons are valued for their juicy flesh, which is served fresh in many parts of…

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Chamomile, or camomile, is the common name used to describe several plants that produce flowers resembling daisies. These plants belong to the family Asteraceae and are…

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Mint plants produce fragrant herbs. They are perennials, which means they can grow during all seasons of the year and can live year after year. Many other herbs are related…

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Basil is an annual herb that is used fresh or dried to flavor meats, fish, salads, and sauces. It is widely used in Mediterranean cooking and is the main ingredient in Italian pesto sauce. Basil also provides a substance called essential oil, which is used in perfumes, medicines, insecticides, and many other products. Basil is a member of the mint family (Lamiaceae, or Labiatae). Its scientific name is Ocimum basilicum.

Basil is native to India and Iran. It also commonly grows in North America, the Mediterranean, tropical Asia, Africa, and England. In the wild, basil can be found along roadsides, in pastures, at the edges of forests, and along shorelines. Major commercial varieties include the small-leaf common basil, the larger leaf Italian basil, and the large lettuce-leaf basil.

A basil plant stands about 18 inches (46 centimeters) tall and has oval or heart-shaped leaves, often with jagged edges. Each leaf is about 1 to 3 inches (2.5 to 7.6 centimeters) in length. Basil has white, pink, or purple flowers that bloom from June through September.

The dried large-leaf varieties of basil have a fragrant aroma faintly reminiscent of anise (similar to licorice) and a warm, sweet, aromatic, mildly pungent flavor. The dried leaves of the common basil are less fragrant and more pungent in flavor. Other types, such as lemon basil and cinnamon basil, have fragrances and flavors that match their names.

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Basil is an annual herb that is used fresh or dried to flavor meats, fish, salads, and sauces. It is widely used in Mediterranean cooking and is the main ingredient in...

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Tomatoes are commonly called vegetables, but they are actually fruits. They are eaten raw or used in cooking. Canned tomatoes and tomato juice are also popular. Tomatoes are grown in all mild regions of the world. They belong to the nightshade family.

Tomato plants generally have many spreading branches. The leaves are hairy and have a strong smell. The flowers are yellow and hang in clusters. The fruit is about 0.5 to 3 inches (1.3 to 7.6 centimeters) across. It can be round or oval or shaped like a pear. When ripe, the fruit is usually red or yellow. Tomatoes contain many small seeds surrounded by jellylike pulp. This pulp contains most of the tomato's vitamin C.

Tomato plants first grew wild in the Andes Mountains of South America. The Spanish brought tomatoes to Europe after finding them growing in the Americas. At first Europeans grew tomatoes only for decoration. They thought that tomatoes were poisonous because they are related to the deadly nightshade plants. Tomatoes did not become popular in the United States until the early 1900s.

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Tomatoes are commonly called vegetables, but they are actually fruits. They are eaten raw or used in cooking. Canned tomatoes and tomato juice are also popular. Tomatoes are...

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A watermelon ( Citrullus lanatus) is a plant originally domesticated in Africa. It is a highly cultivated edible fruit worldwide, having more than 1,000 varieties. About 6% of a watermelon is sugar, which makes it very sweet. There are many different types of watermelon. Some have a green rind on the outside and a red- pink flesh on the inside, with brown seeds. Some can have yellow flesh, and some can be seedless. The green rind on the outside is not usually eaten, though it can be used as a vegetable. It can also be stewed or pickled. Most watermelons are oblong or spherical. In Japan, watermelons are grown in different shapes.

Watermelons are a great source of vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin B6 and vitamin B1. They also contain potassium, magnesium, carotenoid antioxidant, and lycopene. Watermelon is very healthy.

Watermelon, being rich in vitamin C, so it strengthens the body's immune system . The fruit also contains vitamin B6 that helps the immune system produce antibodies the vitamin A also helps in the formation of red blood cells. 10 Health Benefits of Eating Watermelon.

Images for kids

Still Life with Watermelons, Pineapple and Other Fruit by Albert Eckhout, a Dutch painter active in 17th-century Brazil

Watermelon and other fruit in Boris Kustodiev's Merchant's Wife

Watermelon out for sale in Maa Kochilei Market, Rasulgarh, Odisha, India

In Spanish: Citrullus lanatus para niños

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Tomato

Cross-section and full view of a hothouse (greenhouse-grown) tomato

Scientific classification

Genus:

Species:

Binomial name

Solanum lycopersicum

Synonyms

The tomato ( Solanum lycopersicum) is a botanical fruit (but not a fruit as ordinary people use the word).

It is shiny and smooth. It has many small seeds. It is also very good for health. Most tomatoes are red. The tomato is green when it is unripe. It slowly changes color from green to red as it gets ripe, and as it gets ripe it gets bigger and bigger. There are many different types of tomatoes. Some kinds of tomato are yellow or orange when they are ripe. Tomatoes are used a lot in Italian food. They are also used to make ketchup. Tomatoes are called fruit, because they contain seeds. Tomato seeds are dispersed by being eaten by animals. After being eaten the seeds pass through the animal's digestive system. Although tomatoes are botanically fruits, many people consider them vegetables and treat them as such in cooking.

The tomato is native to western South America. Wild versions were small, like cherry tomatoes, and most likely yellow instead of red. The Spanish first showed tomatoes to Europe, where they became used in Spanish and Italian food. The French and northern Europeans wrongly thought that they were poisonous because they are a member of the deadly nightshade family. The leaves and immature fruit contains tomatine, which in large amounts would be toxic. However, the ripe fruit contains no tomatine.

The tomato is grown and eaten around the world. It is used in many ways, such as raw in salads or in slices, stewed, a part of a wide variety of dishes, or processed into ketchup or tomato soup. Unripe green tomatoes can also be breaded and fried, used to make salsa, or pickled. Tomato juice is sold as a drink, and is used in cocktails such as the Bloody Mary.

Related pages

Images for kids

Tomatoes are considered a fruit or vegetable depending on context. According to Encyclopedia Britannica, tomatoes are a fruit labeled in grocery stores as a vegetable due to (the taste) and nutritional purposes.

Solanum lycopersicum var. lycopersicum. Sheet from the oldest tomato collection of Europe, 1542-1544. Naturalis Leiden.

Stuffed tomatoes (stuffed with hard-boiled egg and Parmesan)

Tomatoes thrown from a truck during the Spanish Tomatina festival.

In Spanish: Solanum lycopersicum para niños

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John H. Gerard/Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Under a blanket of leaves in meadows and damp woods, wild violets lie dormant all winter. Then, in early spring, they cover the Earth with flowers of blue, violet, lilac, reddish purple, yellow, or white. Violets are also popular garden and house plants.

Violets grow throughout the world. In North America the common blue, or meadow, violet grows to 8 inches (20 centimeters) tall. It has heart-shaped leaves with finely toothed margins, and its flowers range from light, or even white, to deep violet in color. The bird's-foot violet, named for its deeply cleft leaves, has flowers colored in various combinations of lilac and purple. Other species, such as the sweet white violet and the Canada violet, also grow wild in North America. The pansy is a cultivated form of a European species of violet ( see pansy).

The flower of the violet grows singly on a stalk and has five unequal petals. The leaves are large, dark green, and heart shaped. They may grow on the same stalk as the flower or on separate stalks. About 500 species of violets constitute the genus Viola. The common blue violet is Viola papilionacea; the bird's-foot violet is V. pedata. ( See also flowers, garden; wild flowers.)

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Under a blanket of leaves in meadows and damp woods, wild violets lie dormant all winter. Then, in early spring, they cover the Earth with flowers of blue, violet, lilac,...

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Video by Neil Bromhall; music, Felipe Sarro/Musopen.org

The flowering plants called dahlias grow wild in Central America and Mexico. The Aztecs cultivated them, and Spanish explorers brought them to Europe. Dahlias form a genus of the family Asteraceae. Thousands of varieties have been developed from hybrids of Dahlia pinnata and D. coccinea. The flower was named for Anders Dahl, a Swedish botanist.

Video by Neil Bromhall; music, Felipe Sarro/Musopen.org

Video by Neil Bromhall; music, Orchestra Gli Armonici/Musopen.org

The flowers of wild dahlias are flat, with a yellow center and eight single scarlet rays. Those of modern varieties may be globe-shaped and double, or with many petals. Their color may be white, yellow, orange, red, or purple. The plants grow from 18 inches to 20 feet (46 centimeters to 6 meters) high. They bloom in late summer or autumn.

Dahlias may be grown from seed or cuttings, by grafting (to perpetuate rare varieties), or by division of the tuberous roots. Amateur gardeners commonly use the last method. After frost kills the tops, the tubers should be divided and then stored in a cellar.

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The flowering plants called dahlias grow wild in Central America and Mexico. The Aztecs cultivated them, and Spanish explorers brought them to Europe. Dahlias form a genus of...