Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsumura & Nakai (1916: 30

Umoh, Omodot Timothy & Bassey, Margaret Emmanuel, 2021, Morphology and distribution of species of the family Cucurbitaceae in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria, Phytotaxa 508 (2), pp. 107-128 : 112

1. Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsumura & Nakai (1916: 30 , no. 854) ( Fig. 3 )

Basionym:— Momordica lanata Thunberg (1794: 13) .

Synonyms:— Cucumis citrullus Ser. in De Candolle (1828: 301) .

Citrullus vulgaris Schrad. in Ecklon & Zeyher (1836: 279).

Citrullus edulis Spach (1838: 214) .

Local Name: —Ikpan mbakara (Annang), Ikon mbakara (Ibibio).

Common Name: —Watermelon.

Habitat: —Cultivated farmland.

Description:— Herb, trailing, can be pendant. Stem herbaceous, trailing, angular, pubescent, 0.5–0.7 cm diam.; tendrils 2-fid. Leaves simple, alternately arranged, petiolate, glabrous, palmately lobed with 5 lobes, green; petiole cylindrical, herbaceous, 4–7 cm long. Inflorescence solitary or axillary, emanating from leaf node, pedunculate, peduncle 2–3 cm long, pubescent. Flowers pentamerous, calyx with 5 sepals, pubescent; corolla with 5 petals, yellow, 1.5–2 cm long. Fruit pepos, circular, cylindrical, irregular, green, sometimes with patches of deep green or deep green strands, with many seeds borne in reddish pulp. Seed flat, black, 0.8 × 0.4 cm.

Location in Akwa Ibom:— Essien Udim, Oruk Anam, Uyo, and Ibesikpo Asutan.

Abundance:— It existed in 27% of the sampling points and was rare.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Citrullus lanatus. A. Flowering plant in habitat. B. Morphological features showing (A) Flower section. (B) Seed. (C) Fruit. (D) Leaf. (E) Tendrils.