Water melon
Family Cucurbitaceae
Citrullus vulgaris (= Citrullus lanatus), the watermelon (C. vulgaris 1), is a hairy monoecious annual, often sprawling over the ground. The hairy leaves are deeply 3-5 lobed. The solitary pentamerous flowers are axillary, with usually more male than female ones, pale yellow, about 3 cm across. Male flowers with 3-5 stamens, female ones with ovoid ovary with woolly hairs. The fruit is globose or oblong, usually 25-30 cm in diameter, glabrous, green (C. vulgaris 2), striped or mottled (C. vulgaris 3). The flesh is whitish, yellow or pink-red and contains numerous black seeds (C. vulgaris 4).
Distribution
The watermelon is of ancient cultivation in the Mediterranean region and was known in ancient Egypt. It reached India in prehistoric times, but entered the New World only in post-Columbian times. Today it is widely spread throughout the tropics, subtropics and warmer temperate regions.
Use
The sweet pulp is eaten fresh. Oil extracted from the seeds is used in cooking and as lamp oil. Biggest producers are Turkey, China and Russia.
The variety Citrullus vulgaris var. fistulosus (C. vulgaris 5) is grown in India for its round fruits, which are cooked as a vegetable.