Citron melon

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Citron melon
Citron.melon.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Cucurbitales
Family: Cucurbitaceae
Genus: Citrullus
Species:
C. caffer
Binomial name
Citrullus caffer
Synonyms [1]
  • Citrullus colocynthoidesPangalo
  • Citrullus colocynthoides var. citroides (L.H. Bailey) Millan
  • Citrullus lanatus var. caffer(Schrad.) Mansf.
  • Citrullus lanatus var. caffrorum (Alef.) Fosberg
  • Citrullus lanatus var. citroides(L. H. Bailey) Mansf.
  • Citrullus vulgaris var. caffrorum Alef.
  • Citrullus vulgaris var. citroidesL. H. Bailey

The citron melon (Citrullus caffer), also called Citrullus lanatus var. citroides [1] and Citrullus amarus, [2] fodder melon, [2] preserving melon, [2] red-seeded citron, [1] jam melon, [1] stock melon, [2] Kalahari melon [3] or tsamma melon, [2] is a relative of the watermelon. It is from the family Cucurbitaceae which consists of various squashes, melons, and gourds. Native to arid landscapes of sub-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 the modern era; more often it is pickled or used to make fruit preserves, and is used for cattle feed. [4] It is especially useful for fruit preserves, because it has a high pectin content. [5]

Contents

History

Citron melon DSC 7453-1.jpg
Citron melon

The citron melon is native to Africa, probably the Kalahari desert, where it still grows abundantly. The time and place of its first domestication is unknown, but it appears to have been grown in ancient Egypt at least four thousand years ago.

It is grown as food in Africa, especially in dry or desert regions, including South Africa. In some areas, it is even used as a source of water during dry seasons.

In South Africa, it is commonly eaten by the Xhosa people as Intyabontyi, a citron melon either eaten raw or cooked.

Today, it is not only found in Africa, but also domesticated elsewhere. It is known in the southern plains states of the United States as pine melon, as well as citron melon.

It has become an invasive species, growing wild, in western Mexico.

Characteristics

Tsamma melons in the Kalahari Desert Citrullus lanatus var. citroides.JPG
Tsamma melons in the Kalahari Desert

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. [6]

Citron melon leaves are palmate in the early stages of growth, and deeply lobed in later development. They have a rough texture and a visible white venation. [7]

Solitary flowers with large, yellow petals of around 2–10 millimeters are randomly dispersed forming many seeded fruit with a variegated light green and dark green pattern. [8]

Related Research Articles

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<i>Citrullus</i> Genus of flowering plants

Citrullus is a genus of seven species of desert vines, among which Citrullus lanatus is an important crop.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Melon</span> Type of fruit

A melon is any of various plants of the family Cucurbitaceae with sweet, edible, and fleshy fruit. The word "melon" can refer to either the plant or specifically to the fruit. Botanically, a melon is a kind of berry, specifically a "pepo". The word melon derives from Latin melopepo, which is the latinization of the Greek μηλοπέπων (mēlopepōn), meaning "melon", itself a compound of μῆλον (mēlon), "apple", treefruit " and πέπων (pepōn), amongst others "a kind of gourd or melon". Many different cultivars have been produced, particularly of cantaloupes.

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<i>Cucumis metuliferus</i> Vine in the cucumber and melon family

Cucumis metuliferus, commonly called the African horned cucumber, horned melon, spiked melon, jelly melon, or kiwano, is an annual vine in the cucumber and melon family Cucurbitaceae. Its fruit has horn-like spines, hence the name "horned melon". The ripe fruit has orange skin and lime-green, jelly-like flesh. C. metuliferus is native to Southern Africa, in South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and Angola.

<i>Citrullus colocynthis</i> Species of vine

Citrullus colocynthis, with many common names including Abu Jahl's melon,colocynth, bitter apple, bitter cucumber, egusi, vine of Sodom, or wild gourd, is a desert viny plant native to the Mediterranean Basin and Asia, especially Turkey, and Nubia.

<i>Cucurbita ficifolia</i> Plant species cultivated for edible shoots, leaves, flowers, fruit, and seeds

Cucurbita ficifolia is a species of squash, grown for its edible seeds, fruit, and greens. It has common names including Asian pumpkin, black seed squash, chilacayote, cidra, fig-leaf gourd, and Malabar gourd. Compared to other domesticated species in its genus, investigators have noted that samples of C. ficifolia from throughout its range are relatively similar to one other in morphology and genetic composition. Variations do occur in fruit and seed color, some isozymes, and photoperiod sensitivity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Egusi</span> Type of seed commonly found in West African cuisine

Egusi, also known as agusi, ohue, Ikpan, Ikon, agushi or mbíka) is the name for the protein-rich seeds of certain cucurbitaceous plants, which, after being dried and ground, are used as a major ingredient in West African cuisine.

<i>Cucumis myriocarpus</i> Berry and plant

Cucumis myriocarpus, the gooseberry cucumber, gooseberry gourd, paddy melon, Mallee Pear or prickly paddy melon is a prostrate or climbing annual herb native to tropical and southern Africa. It has small, round, yellow-green or green-striped fruit with soft spines, small yellow flowers and deeply lobed, light green leaves. The melon occurs in disturbed soil and cleared or bare areas, and thrives on summer moisture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Watermelon seed oil</span> Seed oil from Citrullus lanatus

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<i>Cucurbita maxima</i> Species of squash

Cucurbita maxima, one of at least five species of cultivated squash, is one of the most diverse domesticated species. This species originated in South America from the wild subspecies Cucurbita maxima subsp. andreana over 4,000 years ago. Cucurbita maxima, known for modern varieties as Hubbard, Delicious, Marblehead, Boston Marrow, and Turks Turban, originated in northern Argentina near the Andes or in certain Andean valleys. Secondary centers of diversity include India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and the southern Appalachians.

<i>Citrullus ecirrhosus</i> Species of fruit and plant

Citrullus ecirrhosus, commonly known as Namib tsamma, is a species of perennial desert vine in the gourd family, Cucurbitaceae, and a relative of the widely consumed watermelon. It can be found in both Namibia and the Cape Provinces of South Africa, in particular the Namib Desert. It is the sister species to the bitter melon, Citrullus amarus with which it shares hard, white and bitter flesh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Watermelon</span> Large gourd fruit with a smooth hard rind

Watermelon is a flowering plant species of the Cucurbitaceae family and the name of its edible fruit. A scrambling and trailing vine-like plant, it is a highly cultivated fruit worldwide, with more than 1,000 varieties.

<i>Cucurbita argyrosperma</i> Species of plant

Cucurbita argyrosperma, also called the cushaw squash and silver-seed gourd, is a species of winter squash originally from the south of Mexico. This annual herbaceous plant is cultivated in the Americas for its nutritional value: its flowers, shoots, and fruits are all harvested, but it is cultivated most of all for its seeds, which are used for sauces. It was formerly known as Cucurbita mixta.

<i>Dialium guineense</i> Species of legume

Dialium guineense, the velvet tamarind, is a tall, tropical, fruit-bearing tree in the flowering plant family Fabaceae. It has small, typically grape-sized, edible fruits with brown, hard, inedible shells.

<i>Melon necrotic spot virus</i> Species of virus

Melon necrotic spot virus (MNSV) is a virus that belongs to the genus Gammacarmovirus of the family Tombusviridae. It has been observed in several countries of the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Europe. It is considered to be an endemic virus in greenhouses and field productions of Cucurbitaceae crops, including melon, cucumber, and watermelon. MNSV is mainly spread through infected soil, seedlings, insects, and by the root-inhabiting fungus vector Olpidium bornovanus. Symptoms vary between Curbitaceae crops, but generally consist of chlorosis, brown necrotic lesions, leaf wilt, fruit decay, and plant death. Management of the disease consists of preventing infection by rotating fields and crops, steam sterilization, and disposal of infected plants. Also, treated seeds with heat or chemicals are efficient in preventing infection. MNSV is important in melon plants as it causes vast economical damage worldwide reducing significant yields.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chi qua</span> Variety of edible fruit

Chi qua is the fruit of Benincasa hispida var. chieh-qua, a variety of the wax gourd. The fruit is a staple of the Chinese diet.

Kalahari melon oil also known as Tsamma (Damara/Nama), wild watermelon (English), bitterboela, karkoer (Afrikaans), wild watermelon, makatane (Setswana) or Mokaté oil, is a plant oil, extracted from the seeds of the Kalahari melon (Citrullus vulgaris), which is endemic to the Kalahari Desert, spanning Namibia, Botswana and South Africa. Being one of 1,200 varieties of melon, Kalahari melon oil is distinct from regular watermelon seed oil. The seed of the Kalahari melon consists of approximately 50% oil, 35% protein and 5% dietary fibre.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Nesom, G.L. (2011), "Toward consistency of taxonomic rank in wild/domesticated Cucurbitaceae" (PDF), Phytoneuron, 2011–13: 1–33
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Citrullus amarus". Germplasm Resources Information Network . Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture . Retrieved 29 March 2015.
  3. Vermaak, I (2011). "African seed oils of commercial importance - Cosmetic applications". South African Journal of Botany. 77 (4): 920–933. doi: 10.1016/j.sajb.2011.07.003 .
  4. Laghetti, G.; Hammer, K. (2007). "The Corsican citron melon (Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. et Nakai subsp. lanatus var. citroides (Bailey) Mansf. ex Greb.) a traditional and neglected crop". Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution. 54 (4): 913–916. doi:10.1007/s10722-007-9220-y. S2CID   37535961.
  5. Clovegarden - an International Food Site
  6. DEANE (2011-08-31). "Citron Melon, Tsamma". Eat The Weeds and other things, too. Retrieved 2022-11-28.
  7. "HS585/MV052: Citron—Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Mansf. var. citroides (Bailey) Mansf". edis.ifas.ufl.edu. Retrieved 2022-11-28.
  8. "Citron (Citron Melon), Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Mats. & Nakai". Archived from the original on 2006-03-10. Retrieved 2007-04-12.