Citrullus lanatus
| Citrullus lanatus | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |   |
| Hardiness: | 9 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 2' |
| Width: | 7' |
| Blooms: | Mid Summer-Late Summer |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Citrullus lanatus (common name: water melon)
Propagation: Seed - sow spring in a rich compost in a greenhouse. Either put 2-3 seeds in each pot and thin to the best plant, or prick out the seedlings into individual pots of rich soil as soon as they are large enough to handle. Grow them on fast and, if trying them outside, plant out after the last expected frosts. Give them some protection, such as a cloche or a frame, at least until they are growing away vigorously.
Cultivation: Prefers a rich sandy loam and a very sunny position[1][2][3]. A drought resistant plant once established, it is intolerant of wet soils[2]. Tolerates a pH in the range 5.3 to 8.
The water melon is frequently grown for its edible fruit in warm temperate and tropical areas, there are many named varieties[4]. It is not frost hardy and requires a long hot summer if it is to fruit well. It is not really a suitable crop for growing outdoors in Britain at the present time, though it is possible that new faster maturing cultivars will be developed. It is best grown in greenhouse conditions in Britain[K]. The cultivars 'Fordbrook hybrid', New Hampshire midget' and 'Sugar baby' mature in 80 - 85 days in Long Island, New York[3].
A good companion plant for potatoes[5].
Range: Tropical and S. Africa.
Habitat: A weed of roadsides and open ground in desert areas[2].
Edibility: Fruit - raw. A very refreshing fruit[1][6][7][8][4], it has a delicate sweetness with an extremely high water content, the fruit is often used as a refreshing drink[4]. The unripe fruits are added to soups[4]. A syrup can also be made from the juice[4]. The fruit is a rich source of pectin[9][10], and can be added to pectin-low fruits when making jam[K]. Pectin is said to protect the body against radiation[11]. The fruit varies considerably in size from cultivar to cultivar, but can be up to 1 metre long and 40cm wide[3]. A nutritional analysis is available[9].
Leaves - cooked.
Seed - raw or cooked[12][13][2][4]. They can be roasted or ground into a powder and used with cereal flours when making bread, cakes etc, or added to soups and stews[14][15][16]. The seed contains about 30% protein, 20 - 40% oil[17].
An edible oil is obtained from the seed[12][15][4].
Medicinal: The seed is demulcent, diuretic, pectoral and tonic[18][9]. It is sometimes used in the treatment of the urinary passages[18] and has been used to treat bed wetting[19]. The seed is also a good vermifuge[18] and has a hypotensive action[20]. A fatty oil in the seed, as well as aqueous or alcoholic extracts, paralyze tapeworms and roundworms[10].
The fruit, eaten when fully ripe or even when almost putrid, is used as a febrifuge[18] The fruit is also diuretic, being effective in the treatment of dropsy and renal stones[20]. The fruit contains the substance lycopine (which is also found in the skins of tomatoes). This substance has been shown to protect the body from heart attacks and, in the case of the tomato at least, is more effective when it is cooked[21].
The rind of the fruit is prescribed in cases of alcoholic poisoning and diabetes[9].
The root is purgative and in large dose is said to be a certain emetic[18].
Usage: The seed contains 20 - 40% oil. As well as being edible, it is also used for making soap and for lighting[2].
Face masks made from the fruit are used as a cosmetic on delicate skins[20].
Pollinators: Insects
Soil: Can grow in light and medium soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Flower Type: Monoecious
Known Hazards: The sprouting seed produces a toxic substance in its embryo[22].
Also Known As: C. vulgaris.
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Rosengarten Jr., Frederic. The Book of Edible Nuts. Dover, 1984.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ Riotte, Louise. Carrots Love Tomatoes. Garden Way, 1978.
- ↑ Hedrick, Ulysses. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications, 1972.
- ↑ Douglas, James. Alternative Foods.
- ↑ Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 Duke, James and Edward Ayensu. Medicinal Plants of China. Reference Publications, 1985.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Chopra, R. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants. Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi, 1986.
- ↑ Allardice, Pamela. A-Z of Companion Planting. Cassell Publishers, 1993.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Howes, Frank. Nuts. Faber, 1948.
- ↑ Organ, John. Gourds. Faber, 1963.
- ↑ Reed, David. Lilies and Related Plants. 1989.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ Evans, Ralph. Handbook of Cultivated Sedums. Science Reviews, 1983.
- ↑ Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 18.4 Grieve, Margaret. A Modern Herbal. Penguin, 1984.
- ↑ Moerman, Daniel. Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press, 1998.
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 Chiej, Roberto. Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants. MacDonald, 1984.
- ↑ Radio 4. AM. 1997.
- ↑ Frohne, Dietrich and Hans Pfänder. J. A Colour Atlas of Poisonous Plants. Timber Press, 1984.