| Citron melon | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Cucurbitales |
| Family: | Cucurbitaceae |
| Genus: | Citrullus |
| Species: | C. amarus |
| Binomial name | |
| Citrullus amarus | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
Thecitron melon (Citrullus amarus), also calledfodder melon,[2]preserving melon,[2]red-seeded citron,[3]jam melon,[3]stock melon,[2]Kalahari melon[4] ortsamma melon,[2] is a relative of thewatermelon. It is from the familyCucurbitaceae which consists of varioussquashes,melons, andgourds. Native to arid landscapes ofsub-Saharan Africa, it has been a wild source of nutrition and hydration for humans for an extraordinarily long time. Its fruit has a hard white flesh, rendering it less likely to be eaten raw in themodern era; more often it ispickled or used to makefruit preserves, and is used for cattle feed.[5] It is especially useful for fruit preserves, because it has a highpectin content.[6]
 | This sectiondoes notcite anysources. Please helpimprove this section byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged andremoved.(January 2021) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
The citron melon isnative toAfrica, probably theKalahari Desert, where it still grows abundantly. The time and place of its first domestication is unknown, but it appears to have been grown inancient Egypt at least four thousand years ago.
It is grown as food in Africa, especially in dry or desert regions, includingSouth Africa. In some areas, it is even used as a source of water during dry seasons.
In South Africa, it is commonly eaten by theXhosa people asIntyabontyi, a citron melon either eaten raw or cooked.
Today, it is not only found in Africa, but also domesticated elsewhere. It is known in thesouthern plains states of the United States aspie melon, as well as citron melon.
It has become an invasive species, growing wild, in westernMexico.
The actual fruit of this plant resembles the more modern, domesticated watermelons, except that it is smaller and more spheroid. The meat of the melon is more whitish and dense, though, and much stronger in flavor, akin more to the area on a domesticated watermelon where the red meat is just turning into the white rind. As noted above, while some people do eat it raw, it is more often cooked or prepared in some other way.[7]
Citron melonleaves arepalmate in the early stages of growth, and deeply lobed in laterdevelopment. They have a rough texture and a visible whitevenation.[8]
Solitaryflowers with large, yellow petals of around 2–10 millimeters are randomly dispersed forming many seeded fruit with avariegated light green and dark green pattern.[9]
| Benincasa |
|  | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Citrullus |
| ||||||
| Cucumis |
| ||||||
| Other species |
| ||||||
| See also |
| ||||||
