Watermelon is a flowering plant species of the Cucurbitaceae family and the name of its edible fruit. A scrambling and trailing vine-like plant, it is a highly cultivated fruit worldwide, with more than 1,000 varieties.
Image: Taiwan 2009 Tainan City Organic Farm Watermelon FRD 7962
Image: Watermelon cross BNC
A tsamma in the Kalahari Desert
Naturalized in Australia
The Cucurbitaceae, also called cucurbits or the gourd family, are a plant family consisting of about 965 species in around 95 genera. Those most important to humans are the following:Cucurbita – squash, pumpkin, zucchini or courgette, some gourds
Lagenaria – calabash, and others that are inedible
Citrullus – watermelon and others
Cucumis – cucumber, various melons and vines
Momordica – bitter melon
Luffa – the common name is also luffa, sometimes spelled loofah
Cyclanthera – Caigua
Cucurbitaceae
Flower of Lagenaria captured at night
Pumpkins and squashes displayed in a show competition
A selection of cucurbits of the South Korean Genebank in Suwon