Watermelon is a fruit which is also a vegetable that is tender and grows in a warm season. It is cultivated in warmer temperatures of all parts of a country. It has a sweet taste and also known as quenching fruit. It has round or oblong shape with stripes or spots. In 96 countries, above 1200 varieties of watermelons are cultivated. This fruit is a great source of Vitamin C, copper, pantothenic acid, Vitamin A, potassium, biotin, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B1 and magnesium.
| Name |
Watermelon |
| Scientific Name |
Citrullus lanatus |
| Native |
Tropical and Subtropical Africa. It was introduced early in the India and Mediterranean areas. It is widely cultivated and naturalized there. It was widely cultivated for over 4,000 years in Africa. |
| Common/English Name |
Bastard-melon, Watermelon, Dessert watermelon, Afghan melon, Bitter-melon, egusi, Wild melon |
| Name in Other Languages |
Chamorro: chandia;
Chinese: xi gua;
French: melon d’eau;
I-Kiribati: te meren;
Japanese: suika;
Korean: subag;
Mangarevan: meleti;
Maori (Cook Islands): merēni;
Niuean: meleni;
Palauan: sandiang;
Samoan: meleni;
Spanish: albudeca;
Tahitian: merēni;
Tongan: hina pāpālangi;
Tongarevan (Spoken): melēn;
Tongarevan (Written): merēni;
Tuvaluan: meleni;
Yapese: maeyis;
French: melon d’eau;
German: Wassermelone;
Italian: anguria;
Japanese Rōmaji: suika;
Portuguese: melancia;
Spanish: albudeca;
Swedish: vattenmelon;
Hindi: Tarbuz;
Bengali: Tarbuza;
Gujarati: karinga;
Sanskrit: Alpapramanaka;
Tamil: Pitcha;
Tswana: Lekatane;
Afrikaans: Karkoer;
Nama: T’sama;
Zulu: Ibhece |
| Plant Growth Habit |
Herbaceous vine |
| Soil |
Moist, well-drained |
| Plant Size |
Length: 10 m or 32.8 ft |
| Lifespan |
Annual |
| Stem |
Length: 3 m |
| Leaf |
Length: 60-200 mm; Width: 40-150 mm; pinnate leaves, alternate, large |
| Flowering Season |
July-August |
| Flower |
Axillary; Male flower: green, Length: 1.5 cm; Female flower: white-yellow, Length: 1.5 cm long |
| Fruit shape & size |
Rounded or oblong; Diameter: 1.5-20 cm (0.59-7.87 inches); subglobose |
| Fruit weight |
20 kg |
| Fruit color |
Green, rarely yellow |
| Flesh color |
Deep red, pink, orange, yellow, white |
| Flavor/aroma |
Neutral |
| Fruit Taste |
Sweet, too bland, bitter |
| Seed |
Dull brown, flattened, ovate, 0.35 – 0.47 × 0.19 – 0.27 inch (9-12 × 5-7 mm) |
| Varieties/Types |
Seedless Watermelons
- Queen of Hearts
- Millionaire
- King of Hearts Jack of Hearts
- Crimson
- Nova
- Trio
Picnic watermelons
- Charleston Gray
- Jubilee
- Black Diamond
- Crimson Sweet
- Allsweet
Icebox Watermelon Types
Yellow/Orange Watermelons
- Desert King
- Yellow Baby
- Tendergold
- Yellow Doll
|
| Major Nutritions |
Lycopene 6889 µg (137.78%)
Vitamin C (Ascorbic acid) 12.3 mg (13.67%)
Carbohydrate 11.48 g (8.83%)
Copper, Cu 0.064 mg (7.11%)
Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic acid) 0.336 mg (6.72%)
Vitamin A, RAE 43 µg (6.14%)
Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine) 0.068 mg (5.23%)
Iron, Fe 0.36 mg (4.50%)
Vitamin B1 (Thiamin) 0.05 mg (4.17%)
Potassium, K 170 mg (3.62%) |
| Health Benefits |
- Viagra effect
- Relieves muscle soreness
- Lowers blood pressure
- Lowers aortic blood pressure
- Treats health ailments
- Reduce atherosclerosis
- Prostate health
- Kidney ailments
- Prevent cancer
- Eye ailments
- Cures impotence
|
| Calories in 1 cup diced (152 gm) |
46 Kcal. |
| Traditional uses |
- It has demulcent, pectoral, diuretic and tonic properties.
- It treats the urinary passages and bed wetting.
- The fruit helps to treat renal stones and dropsy.
- It has lycopene that prevents from heart attacks.
- The fruit is used as a treatment for diabetes and alcoholic poisoning.
- Watermelon juice helps to provide relief from dizziness in sunstroke and vomiting.
- Watermelon provides relief from thirst, discharge of yellowish urine, bitter taste in mouth, pain in urethra, bad breath and hangover.
- The peels of Watermelon are sundried and used in Chinese herbalism.
- The intake of 500-1000 grams of fruit eliminates hangover.
- The dried peels of watermelon help to treat hypertension, nephritis, diabetes and hangover.
- The seeds are demulcent, pectoral, diuretic and tonic.
- It is used for burns, rheumatism, swellings and gout.
- It is used for purifying bladder and kidney; prevent erectile dysfunction and treats hepatomegaly as well as jaundice.
- The juice extracted from roots helps to treat hemorrhage after abortion.
- The dried fruits are used for mouth sores.
- Pericarp is used to treat diarrhea.
- The seeds treat the symptoms of acute cystitis.
|
| Precautions |
- It causes vomiting if it is consumed after meals.
- The diarrhea and kidney patients should not consume watermelon.
- One should consult the experienced medicine practitioner.
- The excessive intake causes vomiting, nausea, bloating, diarrhea, gas, indigestion, irregular heartbeats and allergic reactions.
- It presence of potassium.
- It could damage the control of motor nerves and kidneys.
- The allergic reactions such as itching, rashes, sneezing etc. might occur.
- It could reduce the blood pressure.
|
| How to Eat |
- The raw fruit is used as refreshing drink.
- The unripe fruits are added to the soups and stews.
- The fruits are used to make jams as well.
- The roasted seeds are used to make cakes, bread etc.
- It is added to the fruit salads.
- It could be made into fruit cocktail, sorbet and juice.
- Rinds are stewed or stir-fried.
- It is used to make pickles.
|
| Other Facts |
- It is from the family of pumpkin, cucumber and squash.
- Watermelon contains 92% water and 6% sugar.
- It has high content of electrolyte and water due to which it is called thirst quenchers.
- Watermelon contains Vitamin C, B1 and manganese.
- China is largest producer and Turkey is the second largest producer of Watermelon.
- There are above 1200 varieties of Watermelon.
- The weight of the heaviest watermelon is 121.93 kg or 268.8 lb.
- Watermelon is also paired with feta cheese.
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