Citrullus lanatus, Watermelon, Darbis, Tarbooz, sandía, Vesimeloni

Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai
Family: Cucurbitaceae

Synonyms: Anguria citrullus Mill., Citrullus amarus Schrad., Citrullus anguria (Duchesne) H.Hara, Citrullus aquosus Schur, Citrullus battich Forssk., Citrullus caffer Schrad., Citrullus caffrorum Schrad., Citrullus chodospermus Falc. & Dunal, Citrullus citrullus H.Karst., Citrullus citrullus Small, Citrullus colocynthis var. capensis Alef., Citrullus colocynthis var. lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai, Citrullus edulis Spach, Citrullus edulis Pangalo, Citrullus lanatus var. albidus (Chakrav.) Maheshw., Citrullus lanatus f. amarus (Schrad.) W.J.de Wilde & Duyfjes, Citrullus lanatus var. caffer (Schrad.) Mansf. ex Fursa, Citrullus lanatus var. caffrorum (Alef.) Fosberg, Citrullus lanatus var. capensis (Alef.) Fursa, Citrullus lanatus subsp. cordophanus Ter-Avan., Citrullus lanatus var. cordophanus (Ter-Avan.) Fursa, Citrullus lanatus var. fistulosus (Steward) Babu, Citrullus lanatus var. lanatus, Citrullus lanatus var. minor (Chakrav.) Maheshw., Citrullus lanatus subsp. mucosospermus Fursa, Citrullus lanatus f. nigroseminius (Chakrav.) Maheshw., Citrullus lanatus var. oblongus (Chakrav.) Maheshw., Citrullus lanatus var. pulcherrimus (Chakrav.) Maheshw., Citrullus lanatus var. pumilus (Chakrav.) Maheshw., Citrullus lanatus var. rotundus (Chakrav.) Maheshw., Citrullus lanatus var. senegalicus Fursa, Citrullus lanatus var. shami (Chakrav.) Maheshw., Citrullus lanatus var. variegatus (Chakrav.) Maheshw., Citrullus lanatus var. virgatus (Chakrav.) Maheshw., Citrullus lanatus var. viridis (Chakrav.) Maheshw., Citrullus mucosospermus (Fursa) Fursa, Citrullus mucosospermus var. senegalicus (Fursa) Fursa, Citrullus pasteca Sageret, Citrullus vulgaris Schrad., Citrullus vulgaris var. caffrorum Alef., Citrullus vulgaris var. fistulosus Steward, Colocynthis amarissima Schrad., Colocynthis amarissima Schltdl., Colocynthis citrullus (L.) Kuntze, Colocynthis citrullus Fritsch, Cucumis amarissimus Schrad., Cucumis citrullus (L.) Ser., Cucumis citrullus var. jace Ser., Cucumis citrullus var. pasteca Ser., Cucumis dissectus Decne., Cucumis edulis Steud., Cucumis laciniosus Eckl. ex Steud., Cucumis laciniosus Eckl. ex Schrad., Cucumis vulgaris (Schrad.) E.H.L.Krause, Cucurbita anguria Duchesne, Cucurbita caffra Eckl. & Zeyh., Cucurbita citrullus L., Cucurbita gigantea Salisb., Cucurbita pinnatifida Schrank, Momordica lanata Thunb.

• Common name: Watermelon
• Bengali: Tormuj
• Chinese: 寒瓜
• Croatian: lubenica
• Dutch: Watermeloen
• Finnish: Vesimeloni
• Gujarati: ઇંદ્રક Indrak
• Hindi: तरबूज़ Tarbooz
• Kannada: Kallangadi balli
• Manipuri: তৰবুজ Tarbuj
• Marathi: Kadu vrindavana
• Portuguese: Melancia
• Spanish: sandía
• Swedish: vattenmelon
• Tamil: Darbis
• Telugu: పుచ్చ putcha, కలెంగడి kalengadi
• Urdu: Tarbooz

Description: Annual herb with prostrate of climbing stems up to 10 m long, covered in long spreading hairs, particularly when young. Tendrils2-3-fid. Leaves more or less narrowly ovate in outline, up to 20 × 19 cm, usually deeply palmately 3-5 lobed with lobes elliptic in outline and often lobed again; hairy when young, particularly on the veins beneath, becoming roughly punctate when oleder; margins almost entire or obscurely and finely sinuate-dentate. Flowers solitary, axillary, yellow, unisexual on the same plant. Fruit smooth, in wild plants 1.5-20 cm long, greenish with darker mottling; cultivated fruits much larger and often more elongated ellipsoid, up to 60 × 30 cm. 

Used in Ayurveda. Stems for sinusitis. Leaves and roots for dysentery;  root  juice  to  stop  bleeding.  Seeds  expectorant, hypotensive, an infusion taken for kidney trouble; a decoction  taken  as  a  diuretic;  kernels  cooling,  diuretic.  Fruits  diuretic, used for fever, jaundice, sunstroke, nephritis, diabetes. Magico-religious beliefs, ritual, superstitions, unripened plant considered poisonous. Veterinary medicine, seeds infusion given to horses for gravel. [CRC World Dictionary of Medicinal and Poisonous Plants]

Pulp—cooling and refreshing, a rich source of pectin, carotenoids, surcose (as major sugar). Fruit juice is prescribed in strangury and urinary complaints, also in hepatic congestion and intestinal catarrh. Seeds—cooling, purgative, diuretic, demulcent (used in urinary infections). Leaves—febrifuge. The pericarp is given in diarrhoea. [Indian Medicinal Plants An Illustrated Dictionary]

In China, the pulp and the rind are eaten to treat diabetes and jaundice, and to expel impurities. The pulp is used to soothe an inflamed throat, heal sores in the mouth and to fight dependence on alcohol. In India, the unripe fruits are used to strengthen, promote libido and to treat jaundice and fever. The seeds are used to promote libido, and the leaves are used to check bleeding. In Indonesia, the fruits are used to assuage rheumatic pains. In Malaysia, the juice of the roots is used to check bleeding after an abortion. In Palau, the fruits are used to treat beriberi and cystitis. In Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam, the pulp and rind are eaten to regulate motion. [Medicinal Plants: Drugs For The Future? ]

 Leaf  and  Seed:  In  French  Guiana,  an  emulsion  of  seeds  and  crushed  leaves  makes  an excellent cataplasm applied warm for intestinal inflammation. Fruit: Pulp is refreshing; juice used as a refreshing wash. [Medicinal Plants of the Guianas (Guyana, Surinam, French Guiana) ]

37 Published articles of Citrullus lanatus