Talk:Watermelon/Archive 2

Native Americans growing watermelons in the 16th Century

If watermelons are indigenous to Africa and were introduced to the North American continent in the 1600's, how is the sentence "Watermelons were grown by Native Americans in the 16th century." true?

Comedian Missing

Sorry but i cannot remember the comedian's name but shouldnt the guy who always smashed watermellons with a mallet be added to the cultural refrences section. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.118.146.222 (talk) 04:02, 24 June 2008 (UTC)

NO —Preceding unsigned comment added by 99.180.63.97 (talk) 22:03, 6 August 2009 (UTC)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gallagher_(comedian) — Preceding unsigned comment added by Iggyplatinum (talk • contribs) 01:10, 7 August 2013 (UTC)

Watermelon as Vegetable or Fruit?

I am beginning this new section because someone from an anonymous IP added an edit to the article saying that the watermelon is a vegetable. I had previously considered that point the other day while reading a poorly researched article for a radio talk show and, after reading dictionary entries, academic websites, and the List of Fruits wikipedia page, I have temporarily reverted the edit till people with more scientific info review it. I believe that whoever began this page had a reason for listing it as a fruit. Cucurbits are listed some places as a bit of both fruit and vegetable. There are a couple of pages online that call watermelon a vegetable but they are very few. I hope that people who have done research can decide if there is something wrong with the article's original discussion of it being a fruit or not because if it isn't, then the List of Fruits needs adjusting too. Bebop 04:27, 20 July 2005 (UTC)

Watermelon fits the basic definition of a fruit, it is the ripened ovary, together with its seeds, of a flowering plant. Some of the Cucurbits are simplistically thought of as vegetables even though they are also fruits, like pumpkin and squash, beacuse when they are used for food they are used more like a vegetable, ie cooked, than a fruit which would typically be eaten raw. Watermelon is not a vegetable. --nixie 04:39, 20 July 2005 (UTC)

Great to get info from a biology specialist/admin. If you or anyone else has a strong print or web source to cite in the References section re: your comment, it would be really great. There is a print source from 1974 originally put in the article at the time most of the fruit detail was added by User:Marshman on September 17, 2004, that likely addresses this already, and it is still in the References section; maybe that's enough. I could ask Marshman's talk page.

In general, if people ever want to add any other web reference to document any aspect of the article not yet sourced in the References (like info in the Watermelon as Food and Drink section) but don't know the Wikipedia stylebook citation style, I can format the citation details for them into the References section; I'd just need the basic URL link added to the article with a description of the text documented in the Edit Summary box (or the link temporarily could be put right next to the fact being documented and I can move the citation to References later when I format the details). For print sources, we'd need as much detail as one has (probably first added to the article References with a description of which text is being documented (or the citation could be placed parenthetically next to the info referenced to be moved by me to References later). I'd assume that anyone adding a print source would have all the citation info on hand while typing it; I could reformat it or people could follow the style already used in the section (which is from the wiki styleguide) without needing any help. Anyone can always feel free to drop me a note to help with citation style. Bebop 13:35, 20 July 2005 (UTC)

Nixie is exactly right and following the link to fruit will explain this fact to anyone. It is not necessary to cite a source for basic definitions in botany (or any other science). The link does that by going to a page that provides definitions and sources of information. The part of the watermelon plant that is usually eaten is the fruit of that plant. It is not a "vegetable" in the culinary sense, either, so I suspect the anon IP was vandalising - Marshman 17:55, 26 July 2005 (UTC)

I doubt the person was vandalizing. There are several websites that mistakenly call it a vegetable, including one for an agriculture talk show, claiming to correct people who call it a fruit. And as for citing a source for info, I am not talking about dotting the article with lots of distracting footnotes. I am referring to adding sources to the general references listed at the end of the article to show where info came from. According to the style guide, we are supposed to show our sources for all information put in the encyclopedia so that people doing the fact check project later can see where it came from & verify it. Anyone could put an incorrect or false sentence in as a "fact" if allowed to list no source in the references section for their info. There is a book cited in the References for this watermelon article that may have a lot of general botany info about watermelons in it, so that's good, although many items have been added to the article since that source was listed that clearly are from other sources not listed yet. Definitions do need source referencing, and the styleguide speaks of rewriting definitions from other sources so that a definition is not copied word for word from another copyrighted source without quoting it. Whenever possible, sources should be listed in the References section for info added to any article because otherwise people could just make "facts" and definitions up (or go from memory and be mistaken) and put anything they want into any article, hoping people believe it. The first article I ever consulted Wikipedia for was on a health item, and I'm still not sure I should have relied on the information in the article because there were no sources cited for the info; it may have just been someone's opinion. Not listing sources is lazy; it's a problem with many articles in Wikipedia written by folks who never looked at the style guide. Anyway, I just want to encourage people to do it. Some have implied that the fact check project editors in future years could end up removing info that can't be verified in articles they check, but I don't know if that's true. Bebop 12:17, 10 August 2005 (UTC)

Hey, if it's got seeds, it's technically a fruit. deeceevoice 23:17, 26 July 2005 (UTC)

I recently opened a box of a generic instant oatmeal. Inside there is trivia written on each of the packets. One stated that watermelon is in fact a vegetable. No source was referenced. Someone must clear the air! Unsuspecting children are eating oatmeal and possibly being mislead. The oatmeal was tasty though, so it has that going for it. —the preceding unsigned comment is by Tleevz1 (talk • contribs) 19:19, 7 December 2005 (UTC)

I too saw saw a watermelon referred to as a vegetable, on our local news channel. I belive it my be fence produce, that in something that could go either way, just as a tomato is. ben414

Watermelon Is a fruit.Be smart people.If it has visible seeds then it is a fruit just as tomato ,cucumber and avocado are all fruits. Smartwatermelonluva13 — Preceding unsigned comment added by 220.245.229.54 (talk) 05:30, 3 March 2015 (UTC)

I love Watermelon!!!I eat it with both my eyes closed.It is a fruit as it is full of seeds.Just as tomatoes and cucumber are fruits — Preceding unsigned comment added by 220.245.229.54 (talk) 05:15, 3 March 2015 (UTC)

the day i get served stewed watermelon as a side dish with my dinner is the day i will consider that it may be a vegetable. Gzuckier 19:56, 20 September 2006 (UTC)

I'm not sure how to approach adding a comment, but I am also aware of this awry debate of the watermelon. I have noticed watermelons being called both vegetables and fruits commonly, and I believe we are simply being biased for the fruit favor simply because it is the current belief of the Wikipedia article. Keep an open mind and consider all possibilities, such as that some vegetables are classified as flowering plants, including the pumpkin, which is cousin to the watermelon. --Furby

I just went to Watermelon.org (National watermelon promotional board), and according to them, it is BOTH a fruit and a vegetable. JAK2112 21:44, 19 April 2007 (UTC)

From what I heard, the watermelon is physically a fruit, but classified as a vegetable. This has to do from when the Government was allowed to tax vegetables and not fruits so called it a vegetable.

Its a friut because it contains seeds and vegatables dont, thats what I was tought at school.Nr9krw —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.161.141.192 (talk) 19:39, 23 September 2008 (UTC)

it is a fruit because it's sweet and has seeds.

)

(Twilight578 (talk) 00:13, 14 April 2009 (UTC)) ~edward cullen~

Just because it has seeds it does not mean it's a fruit. Strawberries have seeds and are not technically fruits. They are labeled as false fruits. The seeds must be on the inside to be considered fruits. And whether it is sweet or not has nothing to do with it. Avocados and olives are not sweet and they are fruits and many leafy vegetables have been described as sweet. The only instances in which I have seen a watermelon referred to as a vegetable is by misinformed government, and companies that have a large impact on how these things are looked at (ex. Grocery stores). I was told by a grocery store company when questioning on why I have to look for my squash under vegetables on the self check out lane that it was labeled that way so people could find it and it had nothing to do on whether or not it was actually a vegetable or fruit. I have although seen the term "vegetable fruit" appear a lot lately. When used together it states that it is a fruit although it has other qualities that we don't consider fruit"ish". I have not been able to find where this term has come from although I have heard it used by many people online and offline (no reliable resource). But "vegetable fruit" does seem like an acceptable term if anyone has further help on citing it? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Cassandra loves (talk • contribs) 04:40, 3 January 2010 (UTC)

i Lambo Muiz says watermelon is a fruit that the watermelon is a flowering plant that originated in northeast Africa, where it is found growing wild ---)Citrullus colocynthis has sometimes been considered to be a wild ancestor of the watermelon; its native range extends from north and west Africa to west India. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Lambo Muiz (talk • contribs) 10:50, 5 May 2018 (UTC)

While I'll always call watermelons a fruit, there is a certain logic to the vegetable position. Fruits and vegetables do not form a clear cut dichotomy (to the commenter above me, some people do call avocados vegetables). Watermelon as a vegetable is not wrong/incorrect/misinformed. The National Watermelon Promotion Board should know what they're talking about. Presumably we all know about the confusion created by the differing botanical and culinary definitions of fruit. There's another definition as well; call it the agronomic definition of fruit. Fruits are grown as perennials and mostly come from woody plants (strawberries are an herbaceous exception, but still perennial). Fruits are usually propagated clonally, rather than from seed. Vegetables are almost all grown from seed sowed annually. The only common perennial vegetables are artichokes, asparagus and rhubarb (and rhubarb is arguably a fruit by the culinary definition). Watermelons are (like the related squash and pumpkins) grown from seed as annuals. Hence, watermelons are agronomic vegetables. The agronomic similarities of watermelons and other vegetables also explains why it was a "horticulturist at the USDA Vegetable Breeding Laboratory [who] set out to produce a disease-resistant and wilt-resistant watermelon", rather than a horticulturist from the USDA Fruit Breeding Laboratory.192.104.39.2 (talk) 22:09, 23 March 2011 (UTC)

False Berry (branch from fruit or vegetable)

Sez right up top, it's a false berry. Gzuckier 04:26, 27 July 2005 (UTC)

It says that the plant "bears an accessory fruit of a type that botanists call a false berry", but I can't tell what part of the plant it's referring to, and whether or not the part that we normally think of as the fruit (the melon) is the false berry, or if there's something else. If anyone can clarify, maybe include a picture of the false berry part, that would be great. Everything I can find on the subject just repeats that exact same sentence. FireWorks 19:23, 15 October 2005 (UTC)

Watermelon would not be considered a false fruit. False fruits are things like strawberries. Strawberries are not considered a fruit because it does not contain seeds on the inside (main reason); but must be called something because they do bear the seeds. Thus, strawberries are not vegetables. Watermelon does not follow the rules of being a false fruit. Other than that I have no clue what it is speaking of. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Cassandra loves (talk • contribs) 04:17, 3 January 2010 (UTC)

Finally an African fruit!

A fruit that comes from Africa, not to brag but most fruits I hear about come from either the middle East, Asia or Americas. Pretty cool!

MAJOR EDIT

The info about seperating/political usage of watermelon is interesting. However, it does not look very clear, and needs split into regions. The article structure itself is good, but it needs neutrality. The official (geographic/scientific) name of the U.S.A. sounds "northern america". I do not approve to deletion of the added paragraph! Please shorten political sentence to as little as possible. This native fruit is actually from the southern most reaches of Korea, Posun. many believe it is from Africa but early Chinese records show of Korea's native plant the watermelon. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.173.170.56 (talk) 02:22, 24 June 2011 (UTC)

edit plan

Additionally, the word "watermelon" has been used since the late 20th century
as a term describing left-wing Green party members, referring to them as 
"green on the outside, red on the inside" (red being the color commonly associated with socialism.)

Watermelons are "green on the outside, red on the inside". 
This is subject of various analogies, about green party members
but anything which is not what it looks on the surface.
The television anthem of russia (2003) includes a watermelon scene,
for yet not known reasons, but probably self-parody of their socialist past.
During so-called slavery (North America, 19th century) Black people
have been subject of degorative cartoon (being extraordinary fond of eating watermelons).  
Nowadays (2006) various races picture watermelons: North Americans
(festivals in Texas), Japanese people (matsuri) and Russia (proofable).

offensive imagery

Given the discussion in the article about the negative association of African Americans and watermelons, why is the image for this page a picture of a black man passed out in the street next to pieces of watermelon? Also, does the phrase "typical usage" below this picture actually mean that this is how watermelons are typically used?

I'm sorry that I don't have the time to learn how wikipedia works so that I can replace this image, but it is quite offensive and I think it should be replaced.

Ugh, some idiot thought it'd be clever to replace the watermelon images. Reverted. Elefuntboy 19:33, 19 July 2006 (UTC)

Some idiot did it again. :) Don't blame me, blame somethingawful.com GSMalette 01:16, 21 July 2006 (UTC)

Would you mind stopping? It's not funny, it's informative, and it's actually quite offensive. And for the record I will blame you. Gladly. Elefuntboy 17:54, 21 July 2006 (UTC)

Very well, blame me if it makes you feel better. But for the record I think it was funny.GSMalette 01:34, 22 July 2006 (UTC)

Square Watermelon

Wikipedia really needs to find a pic of a square watermelon for this page. --71.36.251.182 23:33, 3 August 2006 (UTC)

I agree. I'll believe it when I see it. --Jnelson09 02:37, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

Do you believe it now? 97.82.247.200 09:17, 30 July 2007 (UTC)

The following reference's link is dead (404)

Motes, J.E.; Damicone, John; Roberts, Warren; Duthie, Jim; Edelson, Jonathan. "Watermelon Production." Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service. Retrieved Jul. 17, 2005.

Origins of Seedless Watermelon

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I remember hearing somewhere that a Korean scientist invented the seedless watermelon. Given how Korea was annexed by Japan in the early-mid 20th century and much of Korean achievements were credited to Japan (ex: 1936 Summer Olympics, both gold and bronze medalists in the marathon were Koreans running under Japanese names and the Japanese flag), this might be grounds for potential disagreement. Can anyone investigate this? Thanks.

Vandalism?

Some nitwit has been repeatedly blanking out one section at a time. Does this happen a lot? Should the article be protected? --Kaz 14:31, 23 April 2007 (UTC)

That guy has been blocked for now. --soum (0_o) 16:37, 23 April 2007 (UTC)

Red Watermelons vs. Original White Ones

Ok, I thought I wrote this before but I cannot find it anymore here. So my question is if the original watermelon is white fleshed and tastes mostly like the rind of the red variety, how did the red and yellow varieties come about?24.83.178.11 03:02, 3 May 2007 (UTC)BeeCier

Watermelon as symbol

In some slavic countries, it is (used to be?) a custom to ask the female's parents for her hand in marriage. One of the ways to refuse this is to serve watermelon. I think the symbolism is that the melon is round and can roll so the guest is suggested to "roll out" ("get out of my house"). I'm not sure about any details, but I'm pretty sure something like that exists. If you know about it, feel free to describe it Fry-kun 21:36, 3 May 2007 (UTC)

Moon and Stars merge

• Merge Moon and Stars should be merged here. I don't think that entry can really be expanded, most of the relevant info could easily be placed on this page. WLU 13:31, 28 June 2007 (UTC)
• Merge, this article already has all the information the sub article has. And can still hold some more without going out of control. If that happens, we can fork out later. --soum ^talk 14:25, 28 June 2007 (UTC)
• Merge, As mentioned above, not much else could be added to that article anyway. Rawboard 19:10, 6 July 2007 (UTC)

Merged. WLU 20:00, 6 July 2007 (UTC)

100 fruits per vine?

It says in the article that the wild progenitor that is still found in the Kalahari desert can have up to 100 fruits per vine! I'm pretty sure this is wrong. I've seen pictures of watermelon plants in the Kalahari desert and it doesn't have 100 fruits. It has one small fruit that is like the citron melon (no red flesh) in the middle of tons of very thorny vines. And just think about it, how would a DESERT plant produce 100 WATERY fruits? And why, when domesticated, would the plant lose that tendency? A watermelon plant doesn't even produce more than a few female FLOWERS, so where is this 100 fruits coming from? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 67.83.20.168 (talk • contribs)

Wouldn't the purpose of a desert plant's fruit be to store water? I can't find anything on a quick google regards this, but there are some impressive numbers for yeild per acre. Also, the number of fruits produced would vary based on time of season, rain that season, type of plant. All that being said, I don't mind if it's taken out. WLU 15:04, 26 July 2007 (UTC)

yellow watermelon

I just bought this watermelon from a local store. They labeled it Meat Fruit I asked the manager and she said that Meat fruit was what their distributor called it and she didn't know anything else. That's why I included the Meat Fruit a.k.a. even though I cannot cite it. Naufana : talk 07:32, 7 August 2007 (UTC)

Claim: Watermelons have the highest percentage water by weight

Refutation:

• Tomatoes have 95.4% water by weight: [1] (view relevant sentence free: [2])
• Percent water by weight for various foods: [3] (PDF), notice watermelon is not the highest fruit listed (The tomato tops it at a claimed 94% water by weight)

This claim has been removed from the article. -Frazzydee|✍ 03:28, 30 August 2007 (UTC)

3rd King or 11th King ?

The source "Watermelon Magic, a Tale from Vietnam, webpage found 2007-11-26." in citation [2] have some questionable information. It stated that Prince Mai An Tiêm was an adapted son of 3rd Hùng King. However, in source "Trần Bạch Đằng, Nguyễn Khắc Thuần, Nguyễn Huy - Lịch sử Việt Nam bằng tranh. Volume 3. Trẻ Publisher, Hồ Chí Minh City 2004" stated that he was an adapted son of the 11th King. It is also stated that the story happened in the late of the Hùng King era, when the production was more and more improve and the gap between the rich and the poor was larger and larger. Slave-trading was appeared, and Mai An Tiêm was one of them. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Solokhov (talk • contribs) 10:49, 2 November 2007 (UTC)

African American Culture

I have removed this heading under "categories." Aside from stereotypes, there is no special link between African Americans and watermelon. Kemet 22:50, 26 January 2008 (UTC)

Yes there is. Stereotypes don't come from nowhere. See African American Foodways by Anne Bower [4]. Paul B (talk) 12:13, 5 July 2009 (UTC)

Potentially you could find a source, but I dont see how that one would be sufficient. -- The Red Pen of Doom 16:05, 5 July 2009 (UTC)

Sufficient for what exactly? It's not a cook book. It's a scholarly text published by University of Illinois Press, and it's about as up to date as possible, published in 2008. Paul B (talk) 23:52, 7 July 2009 (UTC)

Having read through the section mentioned I concur that it should gain some mention in the main article. Perhaps including "Due to historic culinary habits" prior to the exiting "Stereotypical caractures may depict[...]" may be a valid addition. 11:35, 21 April 2010 (EST) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 99.245.248.165 (talk)

Densuke?

Densuke watermelons? http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24997464/ zafiroblue05 | Talk 02:21, 8 June 2008 (UTC)

appears to be a reliable source AP feed on MSN - also the cultural information about giving melons as gifts might be included in the article as well. -- The Red Pen of Doom 02:31, 8 June 2008 (UTC)

As Densuke seeds are widely available, the statement that they are only grown on the Island of Hokkaido would no longer appear to be accurate. 50.137.62.163 (talk) 03:34, 13 February 2013 (UTC)

Taxbox - image and caption

Since the taxbox is generally about "watermelon" the whole plant, perhaps a different image would be more appropirate for the taxbox: the fruit on the vine, perhaps. But using the current image of only a part of the plant, I think adding a caption that identifies it as the "fruit" of the watermelon plant is appropriate. -- The Red Pen of Doom 15:46, 18 November 2008 (UTC)

Edit request from 71.234.11.87, 8 June 2010

{{editsemiprotected}} Please add a close parenthesis, ")", to the bullet in the cultural references section after "the Roughriders" so that there isn't an open parenthesis that isn't closed 71.234.11.87 (talk) 01:02, 8 June 2010 (UTC)

 Done I've also unprotected the article in the hope that the racist vandals have by now got the message. Rodhullandemu 01:23, 8 June 2010 (UTC)

Is it really necessary to say "Watermelon can be both the fruit and the plant"? I can't think of any fruits/vegetables that have a different common name than the plant they come from. It's pretty well understood that the same word means both the edible part and the whole plant depending on context (and if it's unclear, the whole plant is always specified with a modifier; "apple tree", "watermelon vine", "tomato plant")

I think it would be better to have the opening sentence changed to something like "Watermelons are large fruit produced by watermelon vines..." 192.104.39.2 (talk) 22:17, 23 March 2011 (UTC)

Scrambler and Vine

I couldn't find any information about what a "scrambler and vine" plant is other than it being briefly mentioned on this page. Any insight/links? I think this should be elaborated or taken out of the wiki page — Preceding unsigned comment added by Seadark (talk • contribs) 21:13, 6 August 2011 (UTC)

Online seed catalog sources are unreliable and not verifiable

Online seed catalogs are not good sources. They are self-published, anonymous, commercial, without third party oversight (peer review). They change at least once a year and are no longer verifiable. If we must have web site sources we should use government or ag school extension sites with articles published by known authors. Jojalozzo 13:11, 24 August 2011 (UTC)

Edit request from Kaushalchandak, 13 September 2011

Remove reference - Seven wonders of watermelon

Uses of Watermelon seeds Watermelon seeds are packed with nutrients including fatty acids, essential proteins and lots of minerals. Around 100 gram of watermelon seeds provide around 600 calories. Around 400 calories come from fats in watermelon seeds. Fat content in 100 gram of watermelon seeds is around 80% of daily dietary requirement of fats. Around one third of watermelon seeds is proteins, mainly highly essential proteins like lysine.

Watermelon seeds are dmostly iscarded. In Asian and Middle Eastern countries, watermelon seeds are collected, dried and roasted for eating. Watermelon seeds are also used in making soups or other beneficial products like watermelon seed oil, watermelon seed tea and watermelon seed extract are made. We can just roast them and eat them as snack. These roasted watermelon seeds can also be used to garnish salads. Oil obtained from watermelon seed is used as moisturizer for skin. Watermelon seed oil finds its place in some of skin care products and cosmetics. Sometimes watermelon seed extract is used instead. Watermelon seed extract is considered as home remedy for stomach and urinary tract related disorders. Tea from ground watermelon seed is also consumed in some parts of globe. It is because of health benefits of watermelon seed tea, it is considered to improve health of kidney. Research is ongoing to confirm this health benefit of watermelon seed tea.

Reference: Watermelon seeds

Kaushalchandak (talk) 09:44, 13 September 2011 (UTC)

Not done: This addition would be a copyright violation of the source you provided. Topher385 (talk) 11:08, 13 September 2011 (UTC)

Edit request on 4 March 2012

Change(usually pink, but sometimes orange, yellow, red and sometimes green if not ripe) to (usually pink, but sometimes orange, yellow, red and even green if not ripe)

Change (6300 USD) to (6,300 USD) StephenGulliver (talk) 18:40, 4 March 2012 (UTC)

Done You are almost autoconfirmed. You should make four more edits and then you will be able to do this yourself. Celestra (talk) 19:04, 4 March 2012 (UTC)

watermelon origin

The origin of watermelon may be south africa or persia:

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-the-different-types-of-melons.htm — Preceding unsigned comment added by 78.233.218.32 (talk) 18:08, 20 July 2012 (UTC)

Citron melon, new article for Citrullus lanatus

Citron melon describes it as the ancestral form of watermelon, and it's classified as Citrullus lanatus. This breaks the one-to-one association of watermelon with C. lanatus. There are apparently other C. lanatus melons that aren't watermelon listed on the Citrullus page. I'd like to propose making a new article for the species, moving Citron melon to that article, and bringing in additional information from the current page more associated with the plant/species than with the watermelon fruit.Plantdrew (talk) 21:59, 1 November 2012 (UTC)

Edit request about "glass boxes" (which are in fact made of transparent plastic) to make cubic watermelons in Japan

The ref provided (from bbc.uk ) is inaccurate and is typical of vulgarized data for easy reading. Glass boxes would crack and shatter under the pressure, as the watermelons' sides are arched, thus not perfectly cubic and exert pressure on the sides of the transparent boxes. These boxes are made of plastic such as polycarbonate. Read this japanese translated article from Kyodo News International ( translation : http://www.reportlinker-news.com/n043279606/Ornamental-square-watermelon-shipments-begin-in-Kagawa.html originally from http://kyodonews.com -in japanese- ), more reliable than the BBC account which summarizes roughly original japanese articles. The boxes are thus made of unspecified transparent plastic not glass. The whole web is full of unsourced blog articles , reflecting personal views based on whatever vulgarization they've read before (being unsourced they can say what they want) , speaking of glass or even tempered glass by extrapolation, when in fact all the companies whether they're japanese or american, sell special vented hinged transparent plastic boxes made of either PMMA ("plexiglas" aka poly methyl methacrylate) or polycarbonate (under the name "lexan" etc). For example, http://square-watermelons.com is one american company doing so.

Unnecessary external links

I removed the external links. This is not a topic that needs many (any?) ELs. Most of them appear to be how-to pages. Some of them could be used as sources perhaps. It is contrary to policy to use the EL section as a directory. I've copied them here:

• North Carolina State University: Watermelon breeding
• Blomberg, Marina (June 10, 2004). "In Season: Savory Summer Fruits." The Gainesville Sun. Retrieved Jul. 17, 2005.
• "An African Native of World Popularity." Texas A&M University Aggie Horticulture website. Retrieved Jul. 17, 2005.
• Blomberg, Marina (June 10, 2004). "In Season: Savory Summer Fruits." The Gainesville Sun. Retrieved Jul. 17, 2005.
• "Charles Fredric Andrus: Watermelon Breeder." Cucurbit Breeding Horticultural Science. Retrieved Jul. 17, 2005.
• "Crop Production: Icebox Watermelons." Washington State University Vancouver Research and Extension Unit website. Retrieved Jul. 17, 2005.
• Hamish, Robertson. "Citrullus lanatus (Watermelon, Tsamma)." Museums Online South Africa. Retrieved Mar. 15, 2005.
• Motes, J.E.; Damicone, John; Roberts, Warren; Duthie, Jim; Edelson, Jonathan. "Watermelon Production." Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service. Retrieved Jul. 17, 2005.
• Parsons, Jerry, Ph.D. (June 5, 2002). "Gardening Column: Watermelons." Texas Cooperative Extension of the Texas A&M University System. Jul. 17, 2005.
• "Redneck Olympics." ISKRA television. Retrieved Jul. 17, 2005.
• Shosteck, Robert (1974). Flowers and Plants: An International Lexicon with Biographical Notes. Quadrangle/The New York Times Book Co.: New York.
• "Watermelon." The George Mateljan Foundation for The World's Healthiest Foods. Retrieved Jul. 28, 2005.
• "Watermelon Production and Consumption Demographics."
• "Watermelon History." National Watermelon Promotion Board website. Retrieved Jul. 17, 2005.
• Wolford, Ron and Banks, Drusilla. "Watch Your Garden Grow: Watermelon." University of Illinois Extension. Retrieved Jul. 17, 2005.

Jojalozzo 03:35, 28 May 2013 (UTC)

watermelon consumption in bulgaria (to cultural references section)

in bulgaria (and probably some other se european nations) watermelon is eaten with white brinned cheese (quite simiral to greek feta). — Preceding unsigned comment added by Mehudi (talk • contribs) 08:29, 3 August 2013 (UTC)

China

The Chinese for watermelon is translatable to western melon, suggesting the Chinese were aware that it was not native to China, but originated west of China. Thus it was possible that it was brought to China via the Silk Road by Arab and Persian traders. 81.129.179.21 (talk) 02:24, 16 August 2013 (UTC)

Table of global watermelon production

The table indicates that the numbers are "million tonnes", however that is incorrect according to the source. The units in the table should only be "tonnes". — Preceding unsigned comment added by Opendestiny (talk • contribs) 04:49, 6 March 2014 (UTC)

Good catch. Fixed. - SummerPhD (talk) 05:22, 6 March 2014 (UTC)

Watermelon nutritional values problem

I have found it very difficult to find nutritional values regarding the rind and skin of watermelons. Nearly all nutritional values for watermelon only include the flesh. The rind and skin are an outstanding source of insoluble fiber. There is no possible way 100 grams of watermelon only contains .4 grams of fiber if you include the rind and skin. Thanks. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.64.54.209 (talk • contribs) 08:03, July 17, 2014‎

The rind is generally not eaten. As a result, it is not included in the nutritional information. - SummerPhD (talk) 14:18, 17 July 2014 (UTC)

GA Review

This review is transcluded from Talk:Watermelon/GA1. The edit link for this section can be used to add comments to the review.

Reviewer: Biblioworm (talk · contribs) 01:25, 25 November 2014 (UTC)

• Review  In progress. --Biblioworm 01:25, 25 November 2014 (UTC)

@Cwmhiraeth: Here are my comments:

• Is the article well-written? - Mostly. There are a few things that could use fixing, though.
  • At much the same date, Native Americans were cultivating the crop in the Mississippi valley and Florida and watermelons were later quickly accepted in Hawaii and other Pacific islands when they were introduced there by Captain James Cook and other explorers.
    • This sentence is a bit run-on and could use some separation. I would also recommend changing "At much the same date" to "Around the same time".
  • These are no longer grown to any great extent but their lineage has been further developed into hybrid varieties with higher yields, better flesh quality and attractive appearance.
    • Comma between "extent" and "but".
  • This has been achieved through the use of triploid varieties but these are sterile, and the cost of producing the seed, through crossing a tetraploid parent with a normal diploid parent, is high.
    • Comma between "varieties" and "but".
  • The plants need plenty of room and should be kept weed free, nipping out the growing tips when the stems are two metres (yards) long.
    • We are not a how-to guide.
  • Aphids, fruit flies and root-knot nematodes attack this crop and if humidity levels are high, the plants are prone to plant diseases such as powdery mildew and mosaic virus.
    • Comma between "crop" and "and", and another comma between "diseases" and "such".
  • Watermelons have a longer growing period than other melons and can often take 85 days or more from transplanting for the fruit to mature.
    • Comma between "melons" and "and". I would also change "from transplanting" to "from the time of transplanting".
  • A watermelon contains about 6% sugar and 91% water by weight.
    • Not sure if "by weight" is necessary. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
  • The 'Carolina Cross' produced the current world record watermelon weighing 120 kilograms (260 lb). It has green skin, red flesh and commonly produces fruit between 29 and 68 kilograms (65 and 150 lb). It takes about 90 days from planting to harvest.
    • Comma between "watermelon" and "weighing".
  • The 'Golden Midget' has golden rind when ripe and pink flesh and takes only 70 days from planting to harvest.
    • I would reword this to say, "The 'Golden Midget' has a golden rind and pink flesh when ripe, and takes 70 days from planting to harvest".
  • The Melitopolski watermelons are seen piled high by vendors in Moscow in summer. This variety takes around 95 days from planting to harvest.
    • Add "the" between "in" and "summer".
  • C. l. lanatus var caffer grows wild in the Kalahari Desert where it is known as tsamma.
    • Comma between "Desert" and "where".
• Is the article verifiable? - Yes.
• Is the article broad? - Yes.
• Is the article neutral? - Mostly, but this is one sentence that concerns me:
  • Many cultivars are no longer grown commercially because of their thick rind, but seeds may be available among home gardeners and specialty seed companies. Old cultivars with good flavour and other features, as well as the thick rind desirable for making watermelon pickles include 'Tom Watson', 'Georgia Rattlesnake', and 'Black Diamond'.
    • I think "good flavor" is a bit biased and original research, as not all people think watermelon is good. (For example, the person typing right now does not like watermelon.)
• Is the article stable? - Yes.
• Is the article illustrated? - Yes.

Thanks for taking on this review. I have dealt with the points you raise above, removed the "how to" sentence and the original research (which predates my involvement with the article). I read it through and made a few alterations. Cwmhiraeth (talk) 19:56, 25 November 2014 (UTC)

@Cwmhiraeth: Thanks for your improvements. The article looks much better, so I'll ✓ Pass this. --Biblioworm 21:09, 25 November 2014 (UTC)

Final decision: This article certainly has potential, so I'll put this  On hold. I recommend that you fix the issues I mentioned above, and perhaps do some general copyediting if you notice any more run-on sentences. Regards, --Biblioworm 14:32, 25 November 2014 (UTC)

Plural Form

I've noticed the word "watermelons" is used heavily in this article. I have never heard that word being used, and I don't think it is the correct plural form. It seems to be a no-brainier that a encyclopedia should use proper grammar and I think "watermelon" should be used instead, but I don't want to change it because I don't know if consensus is against me or not. Should we change it or Keep it? Weegeerunner (talk) 20:07, 1 December 2014 (UTC)

I've seen a few sources that support the use of "watermelons". A rather non-RS, but interesting source, is here. Wikipedia itself defines the plural as "watermelons" here. And this dictionary says that watermelons is the proper form as well here. Jeremy112233 ^{(Lettuce-jibber-jabber?)} 21:29, 1 December 2014 (UTC)

Also, just to clarify, it was by pure coincidence I happened upon this after responding to you on the other talk page. It appears we have some pages in common on our watchlist. Jeremy112233 ^{(Lettuce-jibber-jabber?)} 21:31, 1 December 2014 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 3 November 2015

This article contains misinformation and needs to be edited with referenced information. I would like to edit information regarding the origin of the watermelon, and add a section on its evolution and phylogeny on the flight of the following two papers:

Chomicki, G., & Renner, S. S. (2015). Watermelon origin solved with molecular phylogenetics including Linnaean material: another example of museomics. New Phytologist, 205(2), 526-532.

Renner, S. S., Chomicki, G., & Greuter, W. (2014). (2313) Proposal to conserve the name Momordica lanata (Citrullus lanatus)(watermelon, Cucurbitaceae), with a conserved type, against Citrullus battich. Taxon, 63(4), 941-942. Botany789 (talk) 21:24, 3 November 2015 (UTC)

No reason why you can't post a draft first here on Talk. Please write it for the lay user, WP:NOTJOURNAL, 7-8. --Zefr (talk) 22:49, 3 November 2015 (UTC)

@Botany789: (edit conflict) Please be more specific. Write what you want to the article page to say. You can put the material you want to add on this talk page, and I or somebody else will add it to the article (or you can work on it on your Sandbox page). You should be able to edit semi-protected pages yourself once your account is 4 days old and has 10 edits (working on the material here or in your Sandbox will work for the edit count).

If you're interested in working on watermelon related articles, please note that there is a separate page for Citrullus lanatus which you should be able to edit. "Watermelon" is ostensibly about "Citrullus lanatus var. lanatus" although the C. lanatus article talks about a Lanatus Cultivar Group and a Vulgaris Cultivar Group, with watermelons as Vulgaris. There's quite a mess here that could use somebody knowledgeable to sort it out. There's also a Citron melon article which claims that Citron melons are C. caffer (apparently a synonym of C. lanatus), while the C. lanatus article claims that citron melons are in the Citroides Cultivar Group.

Watermelon origins are relevant to Citrullus lanatus, so maybe you could add the material to that page and we could copy it back over here? Plantdrew (talk) 23:12, 3 November 2015 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 4 November 2015

Party Tricks

How to skin a watermelon Watermelon party trick can be achieved by peeling the skin of a water melon and then carving out the inner part of watermelon and ultimately putting them together Kabilan10 (talk) 02:42, 4 November 2015 (UTC)

Not done: I don't see what encyclopedic value this adds to the article. ‑‑ElHef (Meep?) 14:24, 4 November 2015 (UTC)

References

The following topic is needed.....

List of watermelon cultivars — Preceding unsigned comment added by 203.38.105.161 (talk) 00:37, 28 September 2016 (UTC)

Under Varieties in the article is this thorough reference. --Zefr (talk) 00:44, 28 September 2016 (UTC)

Introduction change

I found the first paragraph and the description to be repetitive. It had a lot of the same information. I made a new paragraph that combined the two so the page is more organized. Allizone (talk) 05:22, 9 May 2017 (UTC)

The article is far from perfect. For example, its sequence is a mess. But your edit deals with it in the wrong way. The introduction is supposed to be a summary of the content of the article, and thus is expected to extract and repeat the salient points. It is not appropriate for it to contain the first mention of facts or to contain a mass of dense fine detail. Plantsurfer 05:56, 9 May 2017 (UTC)

Plantsurfer: I reordered the history and varieties sections as an attempt for a more logical flow. The lede seems succinct and on topic to me. What else should be revised? --Zefr (talk) 15:46, 9 May 2017 (UTC)

Hi Zefr: The Uses section seems backwards to me. It launches straight into Nutrients without any preamble or explanation. Then Foods bizarrely starts with a discussion of skin, which must be about as niche a plant food as pine bark. That section is definitely due for a major copy edit. I'll have another look when I have a moment, but don't let me hold you back! Plantsurfer 17:31, 9 May 2017 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 2 June 2017

Hello! I would like to request that a fact in the "History" section be added after the paragraph beginning with "European colonists..James Cook."

"European colonists and slaves from Africa introduced the watermelon to the New World. Spanish settlers were growing it in Florida in 1576, and it was being grown in Massachusetts by 1629, and by 1650 was being cultivated in Peru, Brazil and Panama, as well as in many British and Dutch colonies. Around the same time, Native Americans were cultivating the crop in the Mississippi valley and Florida. Watermelons were rapidly accepted in Hawaii and other Pacific islands when they were introduced there by explorers such as Captain James Cook.[2]”

Thomas Jefferson included watermelons among his Monticello plantings. As a melon grower he was pleased to note that even the best melons in Parisian markets could not come close to the quality of those grown in Virginia.

Katford7286 (talk) 15:20, 2 June 2017 (UTC)

 Not done This suggestion is more about Jefferson than about the history of watermelon cultivation. If every subject the notoriously polymathic Jefferson touched had a sentence about his connection, there would be few pre-1826 subjects that didn't mention him. Eggishorn (talk) (contrib) 17:00, 3 June 2017 (UTC)

Notes

References

Semi-protected edit request on 5 July 2017

Hello, In the sentence that states watermelon is a fruit, I would suggest an edit as it is still under discussion that it might be a vegetable as well. This is from a 2010 article from the Los Angeles Times. "Still under continuing discussion is whether watermelon is a vegetable or a fruit. It has seeds (the usual signifier of a fruit), so it's the fruit of the watermelon vine, says one faction. No, no, it's related to squash and pumpkin, so it's a vegetable, says another. Oh, just call it a "fregetable" and enjoy it, says a third contingent."

Katford7286 (talk) 18:25, 5 July 2017 (UTC) Katford7286 (talk) 18:25, 5 July 2017 (UTC)

Not done: please establish a consensus for this alteration before using the {{edit semi-protected}} template. jd22292 (Jalen D. Folf) (talk) 18:32, 5 July 2017 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 12 July 2017

The seeds have a nutty flavor and can be dried and roasted, or ground into flour.[3] In China, the seeds are eaten at Chinese New Year celebrations.[32] In Vietnamese culture, watermelon seeds are consumed during the Vietnamese New Year's holiday, Tết, as a snack.[33]

PLEASE ADD AFTER REF 33: Many Americans make a tea from dried watermelon seeds as a folk remedy to lessen kidney problems and lower high blood pressure.

References

Katford7286 (talk) 18:58, 12 July 2017 (UTC) Katford7286 (talk) 18:58, 12 July 2017 (UTC)

Not done: This is not a common use and the implied folk remedy is nonsense, non-compliant with a high-quality medical source per WP:MEDRS. --Zefr (talk) 19:44, 12 July 2017 (UTC)

Note: Marking as answered. jd22292 (Jalen D. Folf) (talk) 20:13, 12 July 2017 (UTC)

Merger proposal

The following discussion is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section. A summary of the conclusions reached follows.

The result of this discussion was to merge. --Anieyo (talk) 05:41, 30 March 2018 (UTC)

---

I propose that Citrullus lanatus be merged into Watermelon. The name Citrullus lanatus var. lanatus is just an autonym (which is an automatically created name for the type specimen) of the species Citrullus lanatus. --Buuz (talk) 12:34, 3 August 2017 (UTC)

• Support. Plainly logical for var. lanatus. --Zefr (talk) 14:34, 3 August 2017 (UTC)
• Comment It's not quite so simple. The Citrullus lanatus article is muddled because it was constructed on the assumption that watermelons and citron melons were varieties of the same species, although the lead now reflects more recent research which shows that they are not, but are separate species. The problem is to know what the correct scientific name of the watermelon is, since this paper shows that the type specimen isn't what has been known as C. lanatus. There was a proposal to conserve the name C. lanatus, but I haven't yet discovered whether it succeeded. So there definitely shouldn't be two articles, but exactly what information should be in the merged article isn't clear. The taxobox at Watermelon is wrong to use the name C. lanatus var. lanatus. Peter coxhead (talk) 15:24, 3 August 2017 (UTC)
• Support as both articles are about the plant Citrullus lanatus. At first I thought the Watermelon article was about the fruit of Citrullus lanatus, but it has a taxobox and the lead starts with the sentences "Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) is a scrambling and trailing vine in the flowering plant family Cucurbitaceae. The species originated in southern Africa, with evidence of its cultivation in Ancient Egypt. It is grown in tropical and subtropical areas worldwide for its large edible fruit, also known as a watermelon, which is a special kind of berry with a hard rind and no internal division, botanically called a pepo." The scope overlaps completely. --Phonet (talk) 01:30, 14 January 2018 (UTC)
• Support I agree with Peter coxhead'spoint that not all information in Citrullus lanatus is relevant to Watermelon. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Groceryheist (talk • contribs) 23:21, 16 January 2018 (UTC)
• Support @Peter coxhead and Groceryheist: Can you give an example of some text/information from Citrullus lanatus that should not be merged into Watermelon? I feel having two articles describing the same species is detrimental to this encyclopedia and confusing for the reader. ~ Mellis (talk) 18:58, 23 January 2018 (UTC)

The issue that's not clear to me – it's not an area in which I have any particular knowledge or interest – is whether the species Citrullus lanatus is divided into infraspecific taxa or cultivar groups, one of which is the (edible) watermelon, or whether Citrullus lanatus precisely equates to the watermelon. If the former, then there should be two articles; if the latter, only one. The taxonomy in neither article is clear enough for me to answer my question. Peter coxhead (talk) 21:17, 23 January 2018 (UTC)

@Peter coxhead: Now that Citrullus caffer and Citrullus mucosospermus have been fully separated from Citrullus lanatus, all that remains in Citrullus lanatus is Citrullus lanatus var. lanatus. All of Citrullus lanatus is now only true Watermelon, with edible fruit. (Source:ITIS & PlantList) http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl1.1/search?q=+Citrullus+lanatus ~ Mellis (talk) 06:34, 24 January 2018 (UTC)

The Plant List is too old to be relevant since the name was conserved only last year. ITIS still accepts Citrullus lanatus var. citroides as per here. I agree that it seems that they are now one and the same taxon, but we need a reliable up-to-date source that explains the current taxonomy which is then used to create a Taxonomy section in a merged article. Peter coxhead (talk) 15:03, 24 January 2018 (UTC)

• Support the merge in agreement with above commentators, especially since all information about Citrullus lanatus is now about edible watermelons—but:

1. Try to conserve ALL valid information from both articles, either in the new merged article or, if any really belongs elsewhere, in other articles. Merging should not have deletion as a side effect. The point of merging is to facilitate searching and make information easily surveyable.
2. Please keep the common name Watermelon as the name for the new article, and make Citrullus lanatus a redirect.

—Syrenka V (talk) 21:18, 29 January 2018 (UTC)

• Support I would support the merger in principle, with "watermelon" being the new name, but think it will be difficult in practice. Cwmhiraeth (talk) 10:02, 28 March 2018 (UTC)

The discussion above is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

Post-merge

Guys, I am confused. Template:Melons shows:

• C. lanatus
  • Watermelon
  • Citron melon

If C. lanatus is watermelon, then to say that a watermelon is a type of C. lanatus is redundant. Tsamma melon needs disambiguation. wbm1058 (talk) 16:58, 2 April 2018 (UTC)

I think this edit fixed that template. – wbm1058 (talk) 17:42, 2 April 2018 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 21 September 2017

I think you should add that for me since i have colorblindes i see them blue 123lop4 (talk) 20:56, 21 September 2017 (UTC)

Not done: it's not clear what changes you want to be made. Please mention the specific changes in a "change X to Y" format. SparklingPessimist ^{Scream at me!} 20:58, 21 September 2017 (UTC)

Non-unique image

There's nothing notable about this image, so it's removed to Talk for discussion or archiving. --Zefr (talk) 15:57, 19 January 2018 (UTC)

Sliced watermelon on sale in Ilorin, Kwara

• Oppose removal of this image. This unique and significant image shows the economic and cultural value of selling Watermelon at a market, it shows one way of serving the melon, features the deep red fruit, the green rind, and both whole and sliced melons in the background. I cannot see justification for removing this image from the article. I want this image restored to the article. It is more valuable than many other images shown in the article/gallery. ~ Mellis (talk) 19:04, 23 January 2018 (UTC)
• Oppose removing this image from the article entirely. Per Mellis's argument I think that this image substantively improves the article. However, I don't agree with the original placement of the image at the beginning of the varieties section. I think it should be restored to the gallery. Groceryheist (talk) 01:15, 30 January 2018 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 17 February 2018

calories in watermelon William Muneer (talk) 16:01, 17 February 2018 (UTC)

Not done: already in nutrition table, 30 cal per 100 g. --Zefr (talk) 16:10, 17 February 2018 (UTC)

Post-merge taxonomy issues

The taxonomy in the article is very confusing after the merge: what appears in the lead is not a summary of the Taxonomy section (and doesn't make sense to me). I hope someone has time to sort this out. Peter coxhead (talk) 07:49, 3 April 2018 (UTC)

The following topics need to be established.....

• List of watermelon cultivars — Preceding unsigned comment added by 220.240.16.249 (talk) 05:23, 5 July 2018 (UTC)
• List of watermelon dishes — Preceding unsigned comment added by 220.240.16.249 (talk) 05:26, 5 July 2018 (UTC)

bitter wooly melon

So what species (now) is a bitter wooly melon? If it’s not Citrullus lanatus, what is it? Where is it on Wiki? MBG02 (talk) 12:16, 27 December 2018 (UTC)

History

Bit of a jump from 1500 BC to 600 AD, with no history. (I suppose people didn’t write about food much then.) Got anything archeological; or genetic? MBG02 (talk) 12:21, 27 December 2018 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 13 January 2019

Under "History," change "slaves from Africa" to "enslaved people from Africa". Lifedancing (talk) 17:01, 13 January 2019 (UTC)

 Not done. That would just make it slightly wordier without any apparent improvement. –Deacon Vorbis (carbon • videos) 23:37, 13 January 2019 (UTC)

Some sources suggest that watermelon is in fact a Berry.

Please look in to classification of this plant. Lots of sources suggest that watermelon is in fact a "Berry"

It's already in the article, from the lead section: "a special kind of berry with a hard rind and no internal division, botanically called a pepo". Plantdrew (talk) 21:08, 13 May 2019 (UTC)

Add link to source #7, journal article?

Here is a link to source #7, which currently has no link. It would have been useful to me if there had been a link.

https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.13163

The domestic watermelon does not have its origins in west africa according to many recent papers, so why does the does the intro state this? Botanistrust123 (talk) 18:18, 5 February 2020 (UTC)

Further evidence for its African origin, although not ideal as rigorous; inserted under History. Botanistrust123: Please provide a WP:SCIRS review that disputes African origin. --Zefr (talk) 18:48, 5 February 2020 (UTC)

Double paragraphs with conflicting text

There are several places in the article where the text contradicts itself. For example, the taxomony subsection contains the two paragraphs below:

==

The bitter wooly melon was formally described by Carl Peter Thunberg in 1794 and given the name Momordica lanata.[15] It was reassigned to the genus Citrullus in 1916 by Japanese botanists Jinzō Matsumura and Takenoshin Nakai.[16]

The sweet watermelon was formally described by Carl Linnaeus in 1753 and given the name Cucurbita citrullus. It was reassigned to the genus Citrullus in 1836 by the German botanist Heinrich Adolf Schrader.

==

The same issue can be seen in the first few paragraphs of the introductory section.

185.175.33.192 (talk) 12:50, 8 June 2019 (UTC) Chris Z, Jun 08, 2019

The duplicate/conflicting text in the introductory section originated from the article being merged with Citrullus lanatus on Apr 02, 2018.

68.37.205.51 (talk) 00:14, 9 June 2019 (UTC)

New paper on origins

This paper: https://www.biorxiv.org/content/biorxiv/early/2019/05/20/642785.full.pdf is not yet peer-reviewed but secondary sources (https://www.newscientist.com/article/2204095-dna-from-mummys-tomb-reveals-ancient-egyptian-origins-of-watermelon/) are already reporting on it. Is it appropriate to make edits based on it or should we wait for it to be published in a peer-reviewed journal first? --94.142.77.80 (talk) 16:36, 2 July 2019 (UTC)

Yes, I saw the New Scientist article. I think we should wait until the primary source is peer reviewed. Peter coxhead (talk) 06:26, 3 July 2019 (UTC)

Lead

The first paragraph seems to be describing a nomenclature debate in an accretive way - which is understandable from the discussions documented on this stalk page but is confusing to the ordinary reader.

The article name is "watermelon". This universally means the sweet watermelon. The article should therefore begin with what the watermelon is. It can state whatever the current consensus name is, but the process of the debate should be left to a subsection further down.

I can't make the edits because I can't tell from that first paragraph what the current name actually is, or what all the other names referred to now correlate to. It refers both to citron melons and bitter wooly melons. Are these the same thing or two different things? Do either or both of them relate to the (sweet) watermelon or not? If so, what is the relation? I am left mystified after reading the first paragraph. Could someone with the right expertise please fix it?

Here's my suggestion for how the lead should start:

The watermelon (insert current consensus scientific name), a species/variety/sub-species of species X in the family [Cucurbitaceae]], a vine-like (scrambler and trailer) flowering plant originating in West Africa. It is cultivated for its fruit.

If it is currently a variety of a species that also includes the citron melon or bitter wooly melon, that should be dealt with next. If it isn't actually, this should be the end of this first paragraph and all the controversy etc should be left to the subsection further down. --PalaceGuard008 (Talk) 23:51, 21 January 2020 (UTC)

Certainly can't blame anyone for being confused by what was a horrible lede section for an important article, so I edited and moved the 1930 varieties discussion to Description with this edit. Better to have a clear, succinct, representative lede needing more editing than the rambling, confusing, history-ladened version that existed before. Following MOS:LEAD, "The lead is the first thing most people will read upon arriving at an article. It gives the basics in a nutshell and cultivates interest in reading on—though not by teasing the reader or hinting at what follows. It should be written in a clear, accessible style with a neutral point of view. The lead should stand on its own as a concise overview of the article's topic." --Zefr (talk) 00:51, 22 January 2020 (UTC)

I still think it's a mess. The paragraph moved out of the lead should be in the taxonomy section. Also, probably should note that the result was not that it's considered two varieties of the same species, but two different species now. And while we're at it, we should check the cultivar groups section, as it's primarily sourced to a reference that predates the 2017 decision on splitting the species, meaning it makes outdated claims. I would take care of that myself, but the article as it stands actually confuses me and I'm not sure what to make of it. oknazevad (talk) 15:46, 19 March 2020 (UTC)

Origin of the modern domestic watermelon

The intro claims (whith no citations)that modern watermelons originated In west africa,but with new reserch this is an innacurate claim, most recent papers point to north east africa speacially sudan as its origin point, Botanistrust123 (talk) 18:48, 5 February 2020 (UTC)

Watermelon article minor editing suggestion.

Surely, in "There is evidence from seeds in Pharaoh tombs of watermelon cultivation in Ancient Egypt.", it should be "Pharaonic tombs"? https://www.lexico.com/en/definition/pharaonic — Preceding unsigned comment added by 74.84.89.26 (talk) 19:04, 9 March 2020 (UTC)

Watermelon hoax

Among the 1000 varieties of watermelons there are a couple, advertised since 2007, that are scams. In 2011 an advertised blue flesh melon became known as the moonmelon or moon-melon. Pictures were splashed over the internet and companies were selling seeds. As of 6-3-2020 seeds could still be purchased from Amazon. 1)- moonmelon-internet-hoax; 2)- Amazon selling blue and purple melon seeds. Would this be something Wikipedia should cover under watermelons? -- Otr500 (talk) 05:23, 5 June 2020 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 19 September 2020

The origin of modern watermelons seem to be in north east africa sudan & egypt with the wild Desert watermelon variety grown in the wild there.

<https://www.researchgate.net/publication/279726846_Origin_and_emergence_of_the_sweet_dessert_watermelon_Citrullus_lanatus> <https://academic.oup.com/aob/article/116/2/133/180059> <https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2015/08/150821-watermelon-fruit-history-agriculture/#:~:text=He's%20found%20evidence%20that%20the,predates%20farming%20in%20southern%20Africa.&text=Paris%20says%20the%20true%20ancestor,Sudan%20and%20gurma%20in%20Egypt>.

rather then in west africa as the intro states with no citations given,the best evidence so far suggest the modern watermelon has its origins in sudan and egypt (north east africa).

The intro should thus be changed from originally domesticated in West Africa to originally domesticated in north east africa. — Preceding [[Wikipedia:Jedorton (talk) 16:32, 20 November 2020 (UTC) comment added by Jedorton (talk • contribs) 09:08, 19 September 2020 (UTC)

 Partly done. We have sources indicating West Africa as well, so I've noted both. ◢  Ganbaruby!  (Say hi!) 03:19, 15 October 2020 (UTC)

Why is Japanese スイカ not linked?　

https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%82%B9%E3%82%A4%E3%82%AB

Since in many cases, there are subtle differences in the species (like "fox" vs "Japanese fox" or something) when it comes to an animal/plant, at first I thought the two may be different species, but the two pages are showing the same scientific name, Citrullus lanatus. So, I think they are for the same subject in different languages. Sin Jeong-hun (talk) 21:08, 18 November 2020 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 11 June 2021

I suggest that another name for watermelon is “luxury fruit”. My reasons are because watermelon is a fruit that cost more than most fruits and is not well known for its vitamins. Luxury fruit (talk) 00:32, 11 June 2021 (UTC)

 Not done: Your reasons are WP:OR. RandomCanadian (talk / contribs) 00:51, 11 June 2021 (UTC)

History of watermelons

According to this source, early watermelons were hard to get into and tasted terrible. Only through selective breeding did we get sweet watermelons, and it was discovered there was a gene that made them sweet. Based on what the source says, this was done before anyone knew anything about genes.— Vchimpanzee • talk • contributions • 22:16, 12 October 2021 (UTC)

Having heard no objection, I'll do it myself and then you can object if you want.— Vchimpanzee • talk • contributions • 16:00, 3 November 2021 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 24 October 2021

Lacks required content. Allow me to edit 103.78.237.6 (talk) 02:13, 24 October 2021 (UTC)

 Not done: this is not the right page to request additional user rights. You may reopen this request with the specific changes to be made and someone will add them for you, or if you have an account, you can wait until you are autoconfirmed and edit the page yourself. Cannolis (talk) 04:35, 24 October 2021 (UTC)