Citrullus lanatus

(Thunberg) Matsumura & Nakai

Index Seminum (Tokyo) 30, no. 854. 1916.

Common names: Watermelon sandia
IllustratedIntroduced
Basionym: Momordica lanata Thunberg Prodr. Pl. Cap., 13. 1794
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 6. Treatment on page 42. Mentioned on page 4, 41, 44.

Distribution

V6 68-distribution-map.jpg

Ala., Ariz., Ark., Calif., Conn., Fla., Ga., Ill., Ind., Kans., Ky., La., Maine, Mass., Md., Mich., Miss., Mo., N.C., N.J., N.Mex., N.Y., Nev., Ohio, Okla., Pa., R.I., S.C., Tenn., Tex., Utah, Va., Vt., W.Va., Wis., Asia, Africa, widely

Discussion

Subspecies 2 (1 in the flora).

Subspecies mucosospermus Fursa comprises wild, semicultivated, and cultivated forms in western Africa, including the egusi melon, which is cultivated primarily for its oil and protein-rich seeds. Both subspecies have the same cpDNA haplotype (F. Dane and P. Lang 2004).

Citrullus lanatus generally has been regarded to include the citron melon, commonly as var. citroides; the latter is treated here as 3. Citrullus caffer.

More than a thousand cultivars of Citrullus lanatus have been developed, ranging greatly in shape and size,

from less than a pound to more than 200 pounds, with flesh red, orange, yellow, or greenish. Seedless fruits are from triploid plants produced as hybrids between normal diploids and artificially produced tetraploids. The triploids have sterile pollen and because pollination is required to induce fruit set and enlargement, they must be interplanted with pollenizer diploids.

Selected References

None.

... more about "Citrullus lanatus"
distinct +  and connate +
Guy L. Nesom +
(Thunberg) Matsumura & Nakai +
Momordica lanata +
3-5(-7)-lobed;elongate-ovate;lanceolate-ovate or ovate-triangular +
tubular +, saucer--shaped +, campanulate +  and rotate +
Watermelon +  and sandia +
rotate;campanulate +
Ala. +, Ariz. +, Ark. +, Calif. +, Conn. +, Fla. +, Ga. +, Ill. +, Ind. +, Kans. +, Ky. +, La. +, Maine +, Mass. +, Md. +, Mich. +, Miss. +, Mo. +, N.C. +, N.J. +, N.Mex. +, N.Y. +, Nev. +, Ohio +, Okla. +, Pa. +, R.I. +, S.C. +, Tenn. +, Tex. +, Utah +, Va. +, Vt. +, W.Va. +, Wis. +, Asia +, Africa +  and widely +
furrowed +  and echinate +
dehiscent +  and indehiscent +
bristly +, smooth +, hairy +  and glabrous +
tuberculate +  and muricate +
fleshy +  and hard +
pistillate +  and staminate +
striped +, variegated green and whitish or green and yellow +, yellow +  and green +
perennial +
dioecious +  and monoecious +
campanulate +
solitary +, corymbose +, fasciculate +, racemose +  and paniculate +
petiolate +, estipulate +  and simple +
pinnately lobed;shallowly sinuate-lobulate +
denticulate +  and dentate +
not differentiated +
ellipsoid;obovoid or subglobose +
induplicate-valvate +  and imbricate +
pubescent +  and glabrate +
obovate-oblong;widely oblanceolate +
0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br /> (1.6 cm16 mm <br />0.016 m <br />) +
Index Seminum (Tokyo) +
woody +, fleshy +  and fibrous +
not arillate +
compressed +, usually ovoid +  and ellipsoid or oblong +
lanceolate +
Illustrated +  and Introduced +
climbing +  and procumbent +
sprawling +  and prostrate +
hirsute;pustulate-scabrous;pustulate-hispid +
short-columnar +
verrucose +  and smooth +
Citrullus lanatus +
Citrullus +
species +
2-3[-4]-branched +  and unbranched +
distinct +
perennial +  and annual +
plant +  and climbing +