''Citrullus'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

of seven species of

desert A desert is a landscape where little precipitation occurs and, consequently, living conditions create unique biomes and ecosystems. The lack of vegetation exposes the unprotected surface of the ground to denudation. About one-third of the la ...

vine A vine is any plant with a growth habit of trailing or scandent (that is, climbing) stems, lianas, or runners. The word ''vine'' can also refer to such stems or runners themselves, for instance, when used in wicker work.Jackson; Benjamin; Da ...

s, among which ''Citrullus lanatus'' (the

watermelon The watermelon (''Citrullus lanatus'') is a species of flowering plant in the family Cucurbitaceae, that has a large, edible fruit. It is a Glossary of botanical terms#scandent, scrambling and trailing vine-like plant, and is plant breeding ...

) is an important crop.

Taxonomy

Molecular data, including sequences from the original collection of ''Momordica lanata'' made near Cape Town by C. P. Thunberg in 1773, show that what Thunberg collected is not what has been called ''Citrullus lanatus'', the domesticated watermelon, since the 1930s. Although this error only occurred in 1930 (Bailey, Gentes Herbarum 2: 180–186), it has been perpetuated in hundreds of papers on the watermelon. In addition, there is an older name for the watermelon, ''Citrullus battich'' Forssk. (Fl. Aegypt.-Arab.: 167. Jun 1775), which would normally have the precedence over ''Momordica lanata'' Thunberg (Prodr. Pl. Cap.: 13. 1794). To solve this problem, it has been proposed to conserve the name ''Citrullus lanatus'' with a new type to preserve the current sense of the name

Species

''Citrullus'' consists of the following species and subspecies: *'' Citrullus amarus'' Schrad. – citron melon *''

Citrullus colocynthis ''Citrullus colocynthis'', with many common names including Abu Jahl's melon, (native name in Turkey) colocynth, bitter apple, bitter cucumber, egusi, vine of Sodom, or wild gourd, is a poisonous desert viny plant native to the Mediterrane ...

'' ( L.) Schrad. – colocynth *'' Citrullus ecirrhosus'' Cogn. – tendril-less melon *'' Citrullus lanatus'' ( Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai – desert watermelon ** ''Citrullus lanatus'' subsp. ''vulgaris'' var. ''cordophanus'' ( Ter-Avan.) Fursa ** ''Citrullus lanatus'' var. ''lanatus'' *'' Citrullus mucosospermus'' ( Fursa) Fursa –

egusi Egusi, also spelled egushi ( Yoruba: Ẹ̀gúṣí), are the protein-rich seeds of certain cucurbitaceous plants ( squash, melon, gourd), which, after being dried and ground, are used as a major ingredient in West African cuisine. Egusi is ...

melon *'' Citrullus naudinianus'' ( Sond.) Hook.f. *'' Citrullus rehmii''

References

External links

Chomicki, G., and S. S. Renner. 2015. Watermelon origin solved with molecular phylogenetics including Linnaean material: Another example of museomics. New Phytologist 205(2): 526-532
{{Authority control Cucurbitaceae genera Benincaseae