Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai, Index Seminum (TI Tokyo) 1915-16: 30. 1916; Meeuse, Bothalia 8: 57. 1962; Kerandren, Fl. Madag. Cucurbit. 155. 1966; Stewart in Nasir & Ali, Ann. Cat. Vasc. Pl. W. Pak. 702. 1972; Jeffrey, Kew Bull. 34: 791. 1980; Fl. China @ eFloras.org 19: 53; Fl. North Amer. @ eFloras.org vol. 6; Nazim & Naqvi, Fl. Pak. @ eFloras.org p.14; Anguria citrullus Mill., Gard. Dict. ed. 8 Add. 1768; Momordica lanata Thunb. Prodr. Pl. Cap. 13. 1794; Citrullus colocynthis Schrader var. lanatus (Thunb.) Matsumura and Nakai; C. edulis Spach., Hist. Nat. Vég. 6: 214 1838; Colocynthis citrullus (Linn.) Kuntze, Revis. Gen. Pl. 1: 256. 1891; Cucumis citrullus (L.) Ser., Prodr.3: 301. 1828; Cucurbita citrullus L., Sp. Pl. 1010. 1753.

Annual climber or trailer, monoecious. Young leaves and shoots densely villous. Stem and branches robust, sulcate-angular. Tendrils robust, 2-3-fid, pubescent. Petioles usually ca. 9 cm (3-12 cm) long, villous. Leaves ovate or elongated ovate in outline, lamina hirsute beneath, long hispid on veins and veinlets, upper surface scaberulous, margin minutely denticulate; lamina deeply 3 (or 5) lobed, lobes elongated ovate, more or less pinnately sinuate lobulate, sinus semicircular, apex acute or acuminate. Probract obovate-spathulate, ca. 1.5 cm long. MALE FLOWERS: Solitary axillary; pedicel ca. 16(-40) mm long, densely villous. Calyx broadly campanulate, ca. 5 mm long, lobes ca. 3-5 mm x 1 mm, lanceolate; calyx cup and lobes densely hairy. Corolla 2.5-3 cm across, yellow; segments ovate-oblong, 1-1.5 cm x 0.5-1.5 cm, with prominent green veins; inner surface with short glandular hairs. Stamens 3, inserted on the base of calyx tube; filaments free, ca. 4 mm long; anthers free, ca. 4 mm long, one 1-celled, two 2-celled, anther cells linear, sigmoid- flexuous, connective dilated, not produced. FEMALE FLOWERS: Solitary axillary; pedicel ca. 6 mm long, calyx and corolla as in male flowers. Ovary 5-8 mm long, ellipsoid or subglobose, densely villous; stigmas 3, reniform. Fruit large, ellipsoid or subspherical, ca. 30 cm or more in diameter, hairy, green mottled with paler green and yellowish more or less longitudinal stripes; mesocarp fleshy, red or yellow; indehiscent. Seeds numerous, ovate in outline, ca. 1-1.5 x 0.5-0.8 cm, mostly black and smooth.

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