Watermelon

Watermelon, type of melon, member of the gourd family, cultivated extensively for its pleasant-tasting fruit. Watermelon grows as a trailing vine. Its original habitat was tropical Africa, particularly the region of the Kalahari Desert, but its popularity became widespread early in history, and today it is cultivated throughout the world.

The vine, an annual, is coarse and hairy and bears divided, oval leaves on short stalks and round, light yellow, individual flowers. The rounded, oblong, berrylike fruit grows to a very large size: Cultivated watermelons may reach 61 cm (24 in) in length and weigh 23 kg (50 lb). Their thick rinds are green or striped and the watery flesh is usually red in color and contains many dark, flat seeds.

Scientific classification: The watermelon is a member of the family Cucurbitaceae. It is classified as Citrullus lanatus.