Some time ago, I wrote an agricultural science article about watermelon, and when I turned the comments, I happened to see a problem:
Is watermelon such a species?
I can probably understand that this question is not about the different cultivars of watermelons at present, after all, watermelons with different sizes, different peels, different flesh colors, different pulp tastes and textures, and eating seeds or eating watermelons are very common in the market.
So the question should be whether there are other "relatives" at the level of watermelon species?
Watermelon is an annual plant of the genus Watermelon in the Cucurbitaceae family, and from the perspective of species, the large-scale cultivation of watermelons in China does belong to "ordinary watermelons", this plant species (subspecies of watermelon).
So "Watermelon is such a species?" "It's a good question, at least it gives me something to write about."
Theoretically, all plants in the "cucurbitaceae" can climb "relatives" with watermelons, but the "relatives" between them are a bit far away, and the difference between plant species is relatively large, so it is not a species with watermelon.
Plants that can be counted as a species of watermelon are in the "watermelon genus".
Don't think in the inon, as we mentioned earlier, there is indeed such a species of "ordinary watermelon" in China (this sentence is not rigorous, and everyone will know where the imprecision is after writing).
However, this does not mean that there are no "relatives" of watermelon (watermelon here refers to watermelon that we generally recognize), not only there are many, and the "relatives" of watermelon in the "watermelon genus" are not recognized by us, the main reason is that there are two reasons, one is that most of them are distributed abroad, it is difficult for us to see; the second is that most of them cannot be eaten, and we have not introduced species.
Today I will talk to you about the "relatives" of watermelon, and let's understand the "parents, elders" and "brothers and sisters" of watermelon.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="65" > family member of the genus Watermelon</h1>
I will first show the family members of the watermelon genus to everyone, as for the relationship between them, I will not give you a discussion, is it uncle, uncle, or brother and sister? Those who are interested can line them up by themselves.
There are 5 plant species in the genus Watermelon, namely "Watermelon", "Medicinal Watermelon", "Lack of Whiskers Watermelon", "Nordan Watermelon" and "Hot Fan Watermelon".
Among them, there are also subspecies of "watermelon" and "medicinal watermelon".
There are 3 subspecies of "watermelon", namely "hairy watermelon", "ordinary watermelon" and "sticky seed watermelon".
"Medicinal Watermelon" has 2 subspecies, namely "Wild Medicinal Watermelon" and "Mild Medicinal Watermelon"
There are also variants of the subspecies "hairy watermelon", "ordinary watermelon", "sticky seed watermelon"
There are 2 varieties of "Hairy Watermelon", namely "Hairy Watermelon Variant" and "Feed Watermelon"
There are 3 varieties of "Normal Watermelon", namely "Normal Watermelon", "Coldofan Watermelon" and "Seed Melon". Among them, "Cordofan watermelon" is worth mentioning, the latest research shows that our current cultivation of watermelon, originated from it.
There are 2 varieties of "Sticky Seed Watermelon", namely "Sticky Seed Watermelon" and "Senegalese Watermelon".
The above is the currently known (strict point is that I know) watermelon genus of all the family members, although the family is not large, but there are many members, one by one introduction is too much, I pick a few characteristics to introduce to you.
Cordofan watermelon
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="26" > Coldofan watermelon</h1>
For a long time, there was a great controversy about which wild watermelon species the cultivated watermelon originated from, until recently, the international scientific research team led by Susanne Renner, a botanist at the University of Munich in Germany, studied the genetic information of various wild watermelons and cultivated watermelons.
It was found that the current cultivated watermelon is the closest to the Coldofan watermelon in the African Sudan, and finally the "father" of the cultivation of watermelon was determined.
Although codovan watermelons do not taste as bitter as most other wild watermelons today (the taste is not bitter, and may be the main reason why humans choose to domesticate it), there is still a big difference between codofan watermelons and currently cultivated watermelons.
The fruit of the Cordofan watermelon is distributed with a large number of white or yellowish seeds, which are much more than the current cultivation of watermelon, and its flesh is also white or yellowish, and the sugar content is much lower than that of the current cultivated watermelon.
Seed melon
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="61" > sticky seed watermelon and seed melon</h1>
I have written an article about "seed melon" before, saying that "seed melon" (that is, melon) is a unique watermelon variety in China, and many friends do not recognize it.
Based on the fact that in Africa, the center of origin of watermelons, there are also a large number of seeds for watermelons.
But "seed melon" is indeed originated in China, in Africa distribution is mostly "sticky seed watermelon", they two on the generations, sticky seed watermelon must be regarded as the "uncle" of seed melon.
Why? At present, it is known that watermelon was introduced to China about 1,000 years ago, and only after the introduction did the seed melon variant appear, and the origin time of the sticky seed watermelon is too early, and it and The Coldofan watermelon has to be considered "the same generation".
Sticky seed watermelon and seed melon also have a big difference, first of all, the distribution of sticky seed watermelon is mainly distributed in West Africa in Nigeria and Ghana and other countries (wild or semi-cultivated) In recent years, China has introduced sticky seed watermelon, seed melon is mainly distributed in China (cultivation);
Then although they are all seeds of watermelon, but the seeds of sticky seed watermelon are mainly used for oil extraction, the seed of seed melon is mainly used for "melon seeds"; and then the fruit of the ripening of sticky watermelon contains higher cucurbitacin bitter taste is not easy to eat, and although the seed melon is not sweet, but after maturity does not contain cucurbitacin, can be edible.
Medicinal watermelon
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="62" > watermelon</h1>
Medicinal watermelon should be the most common wild watermelon species in various popular science articles in addition to ordinary cultivated watermelons.
One of the most common sentences in such popular science articles is: When you encounter watermelon in the desert, don't eat it, it is highly toxic!
In fact, it is said that medicinal watermelon is "poisonous", mainly because the medicinal watermelon contains a large amount of cucurbitacin, but there are also non-toxic varieties in the medicinal watermelon, which is the "mild taste medicine watermelon" mentioned by Inong earlier, and "poisonous" is "wild medicine watermelon".
Are there any differences in features between the two?
There is a difference, but I do not teach everyone to distinguish, in case there are curious friends to see the real to try, in case you eat wild medicine watermelon what to do?
In fact, in the early years, we have introduced a small amount of medicinal watermelon, because the medicinal watermelon has a certain medicinal properties, I believe that with the deepening of research, its economic value will be reflected.
Nordan watermelon and beardless watermelon
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="63" > Nordan watermelon and whiskerless watermelon</h1>
Nordan watermelon and whiskerless watermelon are the existence of the current cultivated watermelon "ancestor" generation, because the taste is bitter and not easy to eat, it is very "lonely", there is no subspecies or variant, there is no artificial cultivation, and the lonely wild is distributed on the African continent.
Why mention them both? There are two reasons for this.
First, Nordan watermelon is more unique, first of all, it is the only hermaphrodite plant in the watermelon genus; secondly, the fruit of Nordan watermelon is very distinctive, and its fruit peel is not as smooth as other watermelons, but has many bumps, especially like a large, green fire ginseng fruit.
Second, the study found that Nodan watermelon and whiskerless watermelon have high resistance to a variety of diseases in the current stage of watermelon planting and production.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="64" > written at the end</h1>
The article wrote here may have friends will say, Inong you introduced these "relatives" of cultivated watermelon, most of them are distributed abroad, we are difficult to see, most of them can not eat, look at a happy, no meaning.
Non-also, a lot of significance is also very large.
Not to mention the economic value development of medicinal watermelons and feed watermelons, if we study these wild watermelon species in depth, it will be of great significance to the next watermelon breeding work.
At present, one of the biggest difficulties in the planting and production of watermelon in China is that the occurrence of diseases in the production process is serious, if we can introduce the disease resistance of these wild species of watermelons into the cultivation of watermelons, then China's watermelon industry will be able to go to a higher level.
Finally, let me say that interested friends should not forget to give a variety of watermelons to the seniority.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="67" > like articles about the three rural areas, agriculture, planting, rural life, plant science and other types, then please pay attention to, like @ Yinong to see the world will continue to share what I know, learn, see to everyone. </h1>
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