CUCURBITACE^ 623 



Geographical. — There are two or three species of Citndtus, natives of the 

 Mediterranean region, Africa, and Asia. The only one of agricultural im- 

 portance is Citrullus vulgaris, which includes the watermelon and citron. 



CITRULLUS VULGARIS (Watennelon, Citron) 



Description. — The watermelon is a hairy annual with 

 long, angular, somewhat branching stems, which often 

 attain a length of 15 feet. The leaves are lobed. The 

 flowers are pale greenish-yellow. The fruit varies in shape 

 and has a firm fleshy rind and a tender watery pulp, which 

 is usually reddish in color and sometimes purplish, yellowish 

 or white. The skin or rind varies in thickness from ^^ inch, 

 in such varieties as White Gem, Gray Monarch, and Hoosier 

 King, to I inch in the Black Spanish, Nabob, and Golden 

 Gate. The weight of the fruit frequently reaches 23 or 25 

 pounds. 



Geographical. — The watermelon is indigenous to tropical and South Africa. 

 It has been cultivated for centuries; Egyptian paintings show that these 

 peoples cultivated them. 



Types and Varieties. — The varieties of Citrullus vulgaris 

 may be divided into two general types: 



1. Common Watermelon. — Flesh of fruit comparatively 

 tender and watery. 



2. Citron. — Flesh of fruit very firm. As compared with 

 watermelons, the citron feels much more solid. The citron 

 is used for making sweet pickles and preserves. It is not 

 eaten in the raw state. The juice of the citron is added in 

 equal parts to that of such fruits as peaches, cherries and 

 others whose juices will not "jell" by themselves to make 

 them produce jelly. The citron has a large amount of 

 pectin in the cell walls. This is the substance in fruits 

 which causes their juice to "jell." 



