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Origin of the Dessert Watermelon

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The Watermelon Genome

Part of the book series: Compendium of Plant Genomes ((CPG))

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Abstract

The dessert watermelon, Citrullus lanatus (Cucurbitaceae), is enjoyed by almost everyone during the hot summer months. The genus Citrullus is xerophytic and native to arid and semi-arid areas of Africa. Like the wild and primitive citron watermelons (C. amarus) of present-day southern Africa, the dessert watermelon was probably first used by people as a source of water, as well as for sustenance gained from its flesh, rind, and seeds and for animal fodder. Wild watermelons identified as C. lanatus have reportedly been encountered in Sudan, and seeds of C. lanatus have been found in tombs of ancient Egyptian royalty. Based on the traits of wild Citrullus, as well as wild progenitors of other cucurbit genera, it can be surmised that the wild ancestors of modern dessert watermelons had small, spherical, striped fruits with pale-colored, bitter, or bland fruit flesh. The earliest-known indications of watermelons having sweet flesh are from the Mishna, a Jewish instructional codex dating to the latter half of the second century from northern Israel, and distinctly colored fruit flesh from an image in an early Byzantine-era mosaic floor in southern Israel. Apparently, C. lanatus was first nurtured and cultivated in northeastern Africa and selection for sweetness of the fruit flesh was accomplished by no later than the second-century CE. Results of recent genomic investigations concur, indicating that the most basal C. lanatus accessions are ones derived from northeastern Africa.

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  1. Harry S. Paris

    Present address: , P. O. Box 6114, Yoqne‘am, 2065626, Israel

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Agricultural Research Organization, Cucurbits Section, Newe Ya‘ar Research Center, Ramat Yishay, 3009500, Israel

    Harry S. Paris

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  1. Harry S. Paris
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Correspondence to Harry S. Paris .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region, Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Gangtok, Sikkim, India

    Sudip Kr. Dutta

  2. Gus R. Douglass Institute, West Virginia State University, Institute, WV, USA

    Padma Nimmakayala

  3. Department of Biology, West Virginia State University, Institute, WV, USA

    Umesh K. Reddy

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Paris, H.S. (2023). Origin of the Dessert Watermelon. In: Dutta, S.K., Nimmakayala, P., Reddy, U.K. (eds) The Watermelon Genome . Compendium of Plant Genomes. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-34716-0_1

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