Fruits name starts with the letter " W "

Watermelon

Scientific name      :   Citrullus lanatus

English                  :   Watermelon

Origin                    :   Southern Africa

Distribution            :    Now grown in most tropical and sub-tropical regions  of the world.  
                                 

Watermelon fruit is very large, smooth, and oval to round. The big round or oval fruits have a thick rind and a fleshy center, usually with many dark brown to black seeds. The skin can be solid green or green striped with yellow. The flesh inside is usually red, but color variations include type with yellow, pink, white or orange flesh.  Seedless varieties also exist. There are more than 1200 varieties of watermelon, ranging in weight from less than a pound to more than two hundred pounds, depending on the variety. [1 lb = 0.4536 kg ].

Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus, family Cucurbitaceae) is both a fruit and a vegetable and plant of a vine-like (climber and trailer) herb originally from southern Africa and one of the most common type of melon. Watermelon is believed originated from the Kalahari desert, Africa. According to the researchers, the fruit is harvested the first time 5000 years ago in Egypt and according to ancestral beliefs at the time, the fruit is used for the burial of kings so that they get nutrition spirits in the afterlife. And from where the melon was brought round to the countries in the world. 

This flowering plant produces a special type of fruit known by botanists as a pepo, which has a thick rind (exocarp) and fleshy center (mesocarp and endocarp), pepos are derived from an inferior ovary and are characteristic of the Cucurbitaceae. The watermelon fruit, loosely considered a type of melon (although not in the genus Cucumis), has a smooth exterior rind (green and yellow) and a juicy, sweet, usually red or yellow, but sometimes orange, interior flesh. The flesh consists of highly developed placental tissue within the fruit.

Watermelons were primarily grown on lighter soils in regions with warmer climates. Watermelons were a warm season crops consumed as dessert fruits and the rinds were used for making pickles and preserves. However, with increased market acceptance, better edible quality and long distance shipping adaptability, the growth of watermelons has increased worldwide. Certain breeds of watermelons have been developed to be more specific to regions of the world. The breeding has resulted in improved quality, which involves maximum sugar content, excellent flavor, and firm flesh with deep red color pigment due to the presence of lycopene.

The sweet, juicy watermelon is actually packed with some of the most important antioxidants in nature. It reduces the risk of fatal diseases like asthma, atherosclerosis, diabetes, colon cancer, and arthritis. Watermelon is rich in the B vitamins necessary for energy production. Watermelon is a very good source of vitamin B6 and a good source of vitamin B1, magnesium, and potassium. Watermelon has a high nutrient density due to the higher water content and lower calorie content than many other fruits. A rich source of vitamins A and C, watermelon also contains lycopene. Lycopene is a red pigment that occurs naturally in certain plant and algal tissues. In addition to giving watermelon and tomatoes their color it is an excellent anti-oxidant that can help prevent heart disease and some forms of cancer.

Horticulturalists believe that watermelons originated in South Africa, and their name refers not only to the fruit but also to the specific plant, Citrullus lunatus. Considering genus is important. Most melons belong to the genus, Cucumis, but watermelons are classified differently in the genus Citrullus. Citrullus includes a variety of vine plants that tend to originate in desert conditions. A variant on the standard melon is Tsamma melon, which has a much higher pectin count, and grows wild in the Kalahari Desert.

Watermelons and Tsamma melons both have a much thicker rind than do melons of the genus Cucumis. This is called an exocarp. What is inside the melon’s flesh is made up of endocarp and mesocarp, or the fruit’s flesh. Early watermelons, and still many today contain numerous black seeds that are also edible. However in the 20th century, seedless varieties of the plant were engineered, which resulted in watermelons with far fewer seeds, and what seeds are present are usually not as hard and pale white, as opposed to the typical black.

Since watermelon thrives in warm conditions, it’s not surprising that cultivation of the plant spread to places like Egypt. China soon became an avid cultivator of Citrullus lunatus, by at least the 10th century, though there are some that contend that the first Asian country to cultivate the watermelon was   Vietnam. When the Moors invaded China, or established trade, watermelon cultivation spread across Asia, the Persian Gulf, and thence to Europe, and Early American settlers were growing the fruit by the 17th century, though some suggest explorers of the New World introduced the plant to native Americans in the early 16th century.

Watermelon is the tasty and flavored fruit that we usually eat during summer in order to keep our bodies hydrated and refreshed, as it contains 90% water. This fruit has been used since ancient times by various peoples to protect the body from losing the necessary amount of water and from getting dehydrated during periods of drought. Watermelon was also used extensively when water sources were polluted. For instance, ancient Egyptians used to welcome tired and thirsty travelers that reached their regions with watermelons. They traditionally offered the visitors big slices of watermelons on trays in order to help them quench their thirst in the most natural and pure way. 

Climate and weather:  Tropical and sub-tropical climates. Watermelon prefers a hot, dry climate (daily temperatures between 22 to 30°C). It can survive desert conditions when groundwater is available.



for more information and images   -  go to the link   --   Watermelon  fruit





                                           

                                              XX-----------------------------------------------------------------------------XX