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Watermelon
(Citrullus vulgaris; Family Cucurbitaceae) is the fruit
and plant of a vine-like (climber and trailer) herb originally
from southern Africa. David Livingstone, the African explorer,
described watermelon as abundant in the Kalahari Desert
and the species descriptor, vulgaris, means "common"
(Shosteck, 1974). This flowering plant bears an accessory
fruit of a type that botanists call a false berry. The
watermelon fruit, loosely considered a type of melon (although
not in the Genus Cucumis), has a smooth exterior rind
and a moist, sweet, usually red interior flesh. Until
the 1940s, the watermelon was rarely found in a grocery.
Melon lovers had to grow their own, which tended not to
keep for long. Then a USDA plant breeder set out to produce
a better watermelon. The result was "that gray melon
from Charleston," formally called the Charleston
Gray. Its oblong shape and hard rind made it easy to stack
and ship. Its adaptability meant it could be grown over
a wide geographical area. |
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It
produced high yields and was resistant to the most serious
watermelon diseases: anthracnose and fusarium wilt. Best
of all, it tasted terrific. Today, almost all commercial
watermelon varieties have some Charleston Gray in their
lineage. This now common watermelon is large enough that
groceries often sell half or quarter melons. There are
also some smaller, spherical varieties of watermelon,
both red- and yellow-fleshed. So-called "seedless"
watermelons have far fewer, and softer, seeds than average,
but generally contain at least a few pale seeds. Compared
with most fruits, the watermelon has a very high water
content, and can be used to satisfy thirst. Watermelons
seeds are roasted by Asians. Pickling watermelons is widespread
in Russia, and pickled watermelon rind is also popular
in the West. |
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