Citrullus

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Citrullus

Description

Herbs, annual (or perennial with root-stock), trailing or climbing, plant scabrous or soft-hairy; Leaves: Flowers solitary, pedicelled, medium-sized, petals (nearly) free, yellow. Fruit a pepo, solitary, (small or) large, firm-walled, indehiscent. Seeds numerous, compressed, (narrowly) ovate in outline, (nearly) smooth, margined or not, edge entire.

Distribution

Africa present, Asia-Tropical, east to Pakistan present
A genus of 4 species in Africa, east to Pakistan; in Malesia: 1 species, C. lanatus, widely cultivated.

Citation

C.Jeffrey 2001 – In: Hanelt, Mansfeld’s encycl. agric. hort. crops 3: 1533
Cogn. 1881 – In: A.DC. & C.DC., Monogr. Phan. 3: 507
I.Telford 1982 – In: Fl. Australia: 173