MULTILINGUAL MULTISCRIPT PLANT NAME DATABASE

Sorting Citrullus names

Species on this page ( A = names approved by most authorities, s = approved as synonyms) :

 

Citrullus colocynthis (L.) Schrad.

SYNONYM(S) : Colocynthis vulgaris Schrad., Cucumis colocynthis L.

DANISH : Kolokvint.

DUTCH : Kolokwint, Kolokwintappel, Kwintappel, Bitterappel.

ENGLISH : Wild gourd, Colocynth, Bitter apple, Vine of Sodom.

FRENCH : Coloquinte.

GERMAN: Koloquinte, Bitterzitrulle.

HINDI : Indrayan, Tumba.

ITALIAN : Coloquintide, Cocomero amaro.

NEPALESE : Indrenii.

PERSIAN : ?

PORTUGUESE : Colocíntida (Brazil), Coloquíntida (Portugal).

SPANISH : Coloquíntida, Coloquínta, Alhandal (?), Tuera (?).

 

 

Citrullus ecirrhosus Cogn.

SYNONYM(S) : Colocynthis ecirrhosus (Cogn.) Chakrav.

ENGLISH : Namib desert wild watermelon.

Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai

SYNONYM(S) : Citrullus vulgaris Schrad. ex Ecklon & Zeyher, Colocynthis citrullus (L.) O. Kuntze, Cucurbita citrullus L., Momordica lanata Thunb.

ENGLISH : Wild melon.

NEPALESE : Tarabuujaa (Tarbuja).

Note : The specific name Citrullus lanatus (ISTA) is generally used by most authors in place of Citrullus lanatus subsp. vulgaris var. vulgaris (PROSEA) or Citrullus lanatus var. lanatus (GRIN, Wiersema & León) to describe the commonly cultivated watermelon. Indeed the new rules of commercial nomenclature encourage a combination of this specific name with a group name (optional) and a cultivar name. See next 2 sets of records below and notes on group names.

 

 

Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai (Citroides Group)

SYNONYM(S) : Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai subsp. lanatus var. citroides (L.H. Bailey) Mansf., Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai var. citroides (L.H. Bailey) Mansf., Citrullus vulgaris Schrad. var. citroides L.H. Bailey

CHINESE : Si liao xi gua, Gua zi xi gua.

ENGLISH : Fodder melon, Preserving melon, Citron melon (USA), Stock melon (USA).

FRENCH : Coloquinte, Pastèque fourragère, Melon fourrager.

GERMAN: Futtermelone.

JAPANESE : Shiryou suika.

Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai (Citroides Group) 'Red Seeded'

SYNONYM(S) : Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai cv. 'Red Seeded Citron'

CHINESE : Da zi gua zi xi gua.

ENGLISH : 'Red-Seeded' preserving melon, Red-seeded citron.

FRENCH : Pastèque à graine rouge.

 

Photograph at The Cucurbit Network - Plant Family Cucurbitaceae. Citrullus lanatus (select "Watermelon" and scroll down the page to the gif. image).

Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai (Lanatus Group)

SYNONYM(S) : Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai var. caffer (Schrad.) Mansf., Citrullus caffer Schrad.

ENGLISH : Tsamma watermelon, Kalahari watermelon, South-African watermelon, Wild watermelon.

NEPALESE : Tarabuujaa (Tarbuja).

 

Sometimes integrated into Citrullus lanatus (Vulgaris Group) or Citrullus lanatus, in new nomenclature.

 

Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai (Vulgaris Group)

SYNONYM(S) : Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai var. lanatus, Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai subsp. vulgaris (Schrad.) Fursa var. vulgaris, Citrullus edulis Spach.

ENGLISH : Common watermelon, Cultivated watermelon.

AFRIKAANS : Waatlemoen.

ARABIC : Battikh, Bateekh, Betteakh (Egypt).

ARMENIAN : Awaiting feedback.

ASSAMESE : Awaiting feedback.

BEMBA : Awaiting feedback.

BENGALI : Taramuj.

BULGARIAN : Dinia.

BURMESE : Awaiting feedback.

CHINESE : Xi gua ( Cantonese Si koa), Shi yong xi gua, Choei koa, Ts'ing teng koa, Han koa, Hia koa.

CROATIAN : Lubenica.

CZECH : Lubenice meloun.

DANISH : Vandmelon.

DUTCH : Watermeloen.

ENGLISH : Watermelon, Water melon.

ESTONIAN : Awaiting feedback.

FINNISH : Vesimeloni, Arpuusi.

FRENCH : Melon d'eau, Pastèque.

GERMAN: Wassemelone (East Germany), Wassermelone , Gewöhnliche Wassermelone, Wasserzitrulle, Wasser-melone.

GREEK : Karpusi, Karpouzia (Cyprus).

GUJARATI : Tarabuucha.

HEBREW : Avatiach, Avatiach pashut.

HINDI : Kharbuza ( kharmuja), Tarabuuza (Tarbooz, Tarbuj, Tarbuz, Tarmuj).

HUNGARIAN : Görögdinnye.

ICELANDIC : Awaiting feedback.

ITALIAN : Anguria, Cocomero, Melone d'acqua, Pastecca.

JAPANESE : Suika, Suika, Shokuyou suika (Shokuyô suika), Shokuyou suika, Shokuyou suika.

KANNADA : Awaiting feedback.

KHMER : 'öö'w llök.

KIKUYU : Awaiting feedback.

KOREAN : Su bak (Soo bahk).

LAOTIAN : Môô, Tèèng môô.

MACEDONIAN : Lubenica.

MALAY : Tembikai, Mendikai, Semangka, Cimangko (Indonesia), Watesan (Java).

MALAYALAM : Awaiting feedback.

MARATHI : Tarabuuja.

NEPALESE : Tarabuujaa (Tarbuja).

NORWEGIAN : Vannmelon.

PERSIAN : Raqqi ?

POLISH : Arbuz, Kawon.

PORTUGUESE : Melancia, Melância.

PUNJABI : Tarabuuja.

ROMANIAN : Pepene verde.

RUSSIAN : Arbuz, Arbuz stolovyj.

SERBIAN : Lubenitsa.

SINHALESE : Awaiting feedback.

SLOVENIAN : Lubenice.

SPANISH : Sandía (Spain), Melón de agua (Cuba), Albudeca (?).

SUNDANESE : Samangka.

SWAHILI : Mtango, Mtikiti.

SWEDISH : Vattenmelon.

TAGALOG : Pakwan.

TAMIL : Awaiting feedback.

TELUGU : Awaiting feedback.

THAI : Taeng chin (Peninsular Thailand), Taeng moh (Central Thailand), Matao (Northern Thailand).

TURKISH : Karpuz.

UKRAINIAN : Kavun.

URDU : Awaiting feedback.

VIETNAMESE : (pref. name), , (red-fleshed), (Yellow-fleshed).

 

 

Types : Red-fleshed, Yellow-fleshed, Cream-fleshed, White-fleshed, Orange-fleshed, Seedless, Round-fruited, Oblong-fruited.

 

 

Photographs. A kaleidoscope of flesh & skin colours at the Seed Savers Exchange seed outlet USA.

Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai (Vulgaris Group) 'Cream of Saskatchewan'

SYNONYM(S) : Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai cv. 'Cream of Saskatchewan'

ENGLISH : 'Cream of Saskatchewan' watermelon.

FRENCH : Pastèque de Saskatshewan à chair crème, Pastèque du Canada 'Crème de Saskatshewan'.

Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai (Vulgaris Group) 'Moon & Stars'

SYNONYM(S) : Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai cv. 'Moon & Stars', Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai subsp. vulgaris (Schrad.) Fursa (Russian Group) cv. 'Moon & Stars'

CHINESE : Yue xing xi gua.

ENGLISH : 'Moon & Stars' watermelon.

FRENCH : Pastèque de Russie 'Lune Étoilée', Pastèque de Russie 'Lune & Étoiles'.

 

Photograph of fruit & leaves at Seeds of Change (you may have to navigate within their site and search for "Moon & Stars" if the correct page does not appear first).

Photograph of fruit (close-up) at OSU Watermelon World.

 

 

Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai (Vulgaris Group) 'Orange Sweet'

SYNONYM(S) : Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai (Seedless Group) 'Orange Sweet', Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai subsp. vulgaris (Schrad.) Fursa (Seedless Group) cv. 'Orange Sweet'

ENGLISH : Seedless watermelon 'Orange Sweet'.

FRENCH : Pastèque sans pépin 'Orange Douce'.

 

Photograph at U.S. Seedless.

 

Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai subsp. lanatus var. lanatus -> Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai (Lanatus Group)

Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai subsp. lanatus var. citroides (L.H. Bailey) Mansf. -> Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai (Citroides Group)

Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai subsp. mucosospermus Fursa

CHINESE : Da zi gua zi xi gua.

ENGLISH : Egusi watermelon, Large-seeded watermelon, West-African watermelon, Wild watermelon.

JAPANESE : Eguzui suika ?

 

Photograph at The Cucurbit Network - Plant Family Cucurbitaceae. Citrullus lanatus (select "Watermelon" and scroll down the page to the gif. image).

Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai subsp. vulgaris (Schrad.) Fursa var. cordophanus (Ter-Avan) Fursa

ENGLISH : East-African watermelon, Wild watermelon.

 

Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai subsp. vulgaris (Schrad.) Fursa var. vulgaris -> Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai (Vulgaris Group)

Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai subsp. vulgaris (Schrad.) Fursa (Asian Group)

SYNONYM(S) : Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai (Asian Group), Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai (Asiatic Group)

ENGLISH : Asian watermelon.

 

Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai subsp. vulgaris (Schrad.) Fursa (Eastern Group)

SYNONYM(S) : Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai (Eastern Group)

ENGLISH : Middle-Eastern watermelon.

Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai subsp. vulgaris (Schrad.) Fursa (Russian Group)

SYNONYM(S) : Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai (Russian Group)

ENGLISH : Russian watermelon.

Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai subsp. vulgaris (Schrad.) Fursa (Seedless Group)

SYNONYM(S) : Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai (Seedless Group)

CHINESE : Wu zi xi gua.

ENGLISH : Seedless watermelon.

FRENCH : Pastèque sans pépin.

VIETNAMESE : (no dot under ô of khong).

 

Is integrated into Citrullus lanatus (Citroides Group) or Citrullus lanatus (Vulgaris Group) in new nomenclature.

 

 

Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai subsp. vulgaris (Schrad.) Fursa (Seedy Group)

SYNONYM(S) : Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai (Seedy Group)

CHINESE : Gua zi xi gua.

ENGLISH : Edible-seeded watermelon, Cultivated watermelon.

Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai var. caffer (Schrad.) Mansf. -> Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai (Lanatus Group)

Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai var. citroides (L.H. Bailey) Mansf. -> Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai (Citroides Group)

Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai var. fistulosus Duth. & Full.

SYNONYM(S) : Citrullus lanatus var. fistulosus (Steward) C. R. Babu, Citrullus lanatus var. fistulosus (Stocks) H. L. Chakravarty

ENGLISH : Round gourd.

NEPALESE : Matyangre pharsi, Tindaa pharsii (Tinda pharsi).

 

For other names see the latest preferred (post 2002) botanical name for this crop Praecitrullus fistulosus (Stocks) Pangale

Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai var. lanatus -> See Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai (Vulgaris Group) for common names in 40 languages.

Citrullus naudinianus (Sonder) J. D. Hooker

SYNONYM(S) : Anthosicyos naudinianus (Sonder) C. Jeffrey

ENGLISH : Spiny-fruited wild watermelon.

 

 

 

NOTES
on group names

We have adopted the group names "Lanatus" for wild and semi-wild African watermelons, "Vulgaris" to cover "edible" cultivars, and "Citroides" to cover the preserving melons and fodder cultivars and we suggest here that these would be sensible options to take. However that does not solve the problem of accomodating other infraspecific levels. Sub-group names would be a logical progression but would defeat the purpose of shortening names. The only advantage would be that Latin names could be replaced by English names. We do not support this linguistic option on the basis that all people of the world will never agree on a universal language, even English. On the other hand most people handling plants have come to the realisation that botanical names are a necessity and even if they do not like it they have already made the effort to learn botanical Latin. The same could not be said of English for example in countries like China, Japan, and parts of India, covering between them over 2 billion people, where the keener anglophiles and anglophones are not necessarily equally interested in plants. There is also in these countries and many others a perceptible growing resentment of "English" agribusiness which has in many instances behaved in an "ethically - challenged" fashion in the centres of bio-diversity of the world.

 

 

on botanical names out of fashion

Similarly to the GRIN list of older Phaseolus vulgaris names, here is a list of watermelon varieties / cultivars, from the Cucurbit Network, in need of matching common names.

Citrullus lanatus var. albidus (Chakravarty) J.K. Maheshwari

Citrullus lanatus var. caffrorum (Alefeld) F.R. Fosberg

Citrullus lanatus var. capensis (Alef.) Fursa

Citrullus lanatus var. cordophanus (Ter-Avan.) Fursa

Citrullus lanatus var. fistulosus (Steward) C. R. Babu -> Praecitrullus fistulosus (Stocks) Pangale A

Citrullus lanatus var. fistulosus (Stocks) H.L. Chakravarty -> Praecitrullus fistulosus (Stocks) Pangale A

Citrullus lanatus var. minor (Chakravarty) J.K. Maheshwari

Citrullus lanatus var. oblongus (Chakravarty) J.K. Maheshwari

Citrullus lanatus var. pulcherrimus (Chakravarty) J.K. Maheshwari

Citrullus lanatus var. pumilus (Chakravarty) J.K. Maheshwari

Citrullus lanatus var. rotundus (Chakravarty) J.K. Maheshwari

Citrullus lanatus var. shami (Chakravarty) J.K. Maheshwari

Citrullus lanatus var. variegatus (Chakravarty) J.K. Maheshwari

Citrullus lanatus var. virgatus (Chakravarty) J.K. Maheshwari

Citrullus lanatus var. viridis (Chakravarty) J.K. Maheshwari

 

 

REFERENCES
General Bibliography

+

REFERENCES
Complementary / Specific

 

EURODICAUTOM, On-line Technical Dictionary in 12 languages provided by the European Commission < http://eurodic.echo.lu/cgi-bin/edicbin/EuroDicWWW.pl?page=expert > (Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Latin with authority names)

I.S.T.A. 1982, Multilingual Glossary of Common Plant - Names, 1. Field Crops, Grasses & Vegetables, Second Edition, International Seed Testing Association, Zurich, Switzerland. p38.

Mabberley D.J. 1997, The Plant-Book : a Portable Dictionary of the Vascular Plants, 2d Edition, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, U.K.

Paje M.M. & van der Vossen H.A.M. 1993, Citrullus lanatus (Thunberg) Matsum. & Nakai, In Siemonsma J.S. & Kasem Piluek (Editors) : Plant Resources of South-East Asia N°8 . Vegetables. Pudoc Scientific Publishers, Wageningen. pp 144 - 148.

The Cucurbit Network - Plant Family Cucurbitaceae. Citrullus lanatus (Watermelon). < http://www.cucurbit.org/ >.

USDA, ARS, 2000, National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network - (GRIN). [Online Database] National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland. Available: www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/taxdump.pl?citrullus (26 June 2000). (A number of languages, some romanised, Latin with authority names)

Wiersema J. H. & León B. 1999, World Economic Plants : a Standard Reference. CRC Press LLC.

Xie Zongwa & Yu Youqin (Editors), 1996, Materia Medica, Chinese Terminology, Vol. 1, Renminweisheng Publishing House Beijing, China. (Latin with authority names and Chinese-simplified, text in Chinese).

 

Contributors to this page (Personal communication) : Asami Noriko, Akiko Mundy, Marinos Drakopoulos, Edvokia Mavrakis, Alfredo Rocha, Jun Li, Weili Wang, Ione Fett, Uwe Radok, Ruzica Kolenic, Xingren Wu, Paul Cubberley, Emilija Simic, Takako Asaoka, Thanh Nguyen.

RESOURCES

 

Heirloom Seed Company List. List of seed sources in USA linked to web sites & e-mail addresses of many sources. < http://www.interl.net/~waylin47/heirloom/cmpnylst.htm#key >. This is part of the Heirloom Gardening Page site for seed savers < http://www.interl.net/~waylin47/ >. They have also a few pages on Varieties (cultivars) < http://www.interl.net/~waylin47/heirloom/vrieties.htm >. The author libertyordeath@hotmail.com draws heavily on Benjamin Watson's Taylor's Guide to Heirloom Vegetables and to a lesser extent on Sue Strickland's Heirloom Vegetables : A Home Guide to Finding and Growing Vegetables from the Past, but each cultivar listed is linked to a number of seed sources. It is all limited to USA for the time being. Custodians of heirlooms from the rest of the world should be encouraged to contribute names, descriptions, seed sources & photos.

HSCA (Heritage Seed Curators Australia). List of seeds sources in Australia and New Zealand < http://www.ozemail.com.au/~hsca/HSCA_ANZ_Seed_Suppliers.html >.

Modern cultivars for tropical conditions at Tropical Seeds (select "Watermelon & Melons" from "Vegetables" index) < http://www.tropical-seeds.com/ >.

The Cucurbit Network - The Cucurbitaceae. Citrullus lanatus (Watermelon). In their list of interesting links you'll find practically everything you need to know including photographs, taxonomy, cultivation, recipes etc..

OSU Watermelon World, sponsored and maintained by Oklahoma State University' s Wes Watkins, Agricultural Research and Extension Center at Lane, OK, USA. < http://www.lane-ag.org/wm-world/main.htm >. They have links to all sorts of resources related to Citrullus lanatus including an impressive list of cultivars of the world < http://www.lane-ag.org/wm-world/Cultivars/cultivars.htm > with colour photos (many excellent and a few of poor quality).

 

back to Gateway , to list of notes , to the Landcare Group Homepage

Date created: 04 / 03 / 1995
Authorised by Prof. Snow Barlow
Last modified: 05 / 06 / 2004
Access: No restriction
Copyright © 1995 - 2020, The University of Melbourne.
Maintained by: Michel H. Porcher, E-Mail: m.porcher@landfood.unimelb.edu.au
Disclaimer