Taxon:  Citrullus mucosospermus (Fursa) Fursa



Summary
Genus:
Citrullus
Family:
Cucurbitaceae
Tribe:
Benincaseae
Nomen number:
468433
Place of publication:
Trudy Prikl. Bot. 81:111.  1983
Verified:
08/25/2015 ARS Systematic Botanists.
Accessions:
82 (77  active, 53  available) in National Plant Germplasm System.  (Map it)
Other conspecific taxa
Autonyms (not in current use), synonyms and invalid designations
Basionym
Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai subsp. mucosospermus Fursa

No images


Conservation Status

Reference(s)
  1. Chomicki, G. & S. S. Renner. 2015. Watermelon origin solved with molecular phylogenetics including Linnaean material: another example of museonomics. New Phytol. 205:526-532.
  2. Fursa, T. B. 1981. Intraspecific classification of water-melon under cultivation. Kulturpflanze 29:297-300. Note: as Citrullus lanatus subsp. mucosospermus
  3. Gusmini, G. et al. 2004. Inheritance of egusi seed type in watermelon. J. Heredity 95:268-270. Note: it discussed crosses between "adapted parents" (derived from USDA watermelon egusi-type seed accessions PI 490383 and PI 560006) and plants of these two accessions
  4. Paris, H. S. 2015. Origin and emergence of the sweet dessert watermelon, Citrullus lanatus. Ann. Bot. (Oxford) 116:133-148.
  5. Renner, S. S. et al. 2017. Chromosome numbers, Sudanese wild forms, and classification of the watermelon genus Citrullus, with 50 names allocated to seven biological species. Taxon 66:1393-1405.
Common names
LanguageNameAlternate namenoteseqCitation
Englishegusi melon as Citrullus lanatus1PROTABASE, the information base of PROTA (Plant Resources of Tropical Africa) (on-line resource). Note: mentions egusi melon under Citrullus lanatus
Englishegusi watermelon as Citrullus lanatus1PROTABASE, the information base of PROTA (Plant Resources of Tropical Africa) (on-line resource). Note: mentions egusi melon under Citrullus lanatus
EnglishWest African watermelon as Citrullus lanatus1PROTABASE, the information base of PROTA (Plant Resources of Tropical Africa) (on-line resource). Note: mentions egusi melon under Citrullus lanatus
Frenchmelon à pistache as Citrullus lanatus2PROTABASE, the information base of PROTA (Plant Resources of Tropical Africa) (on-line resource). Note: mentions egusi melon under Citrullus lanatus
Frenchpastèque égousi as Citrullus lanatus2PROTABASE, the information base of PROTA (Plant Resources of Tropical Africa) (on-line resource). Note: mentions egusi melon under Citrullus lanatus
Nigeria (Yoruba)egusi as Citrullus lanatus2Burkill, H. M. 1985-2004. The useful plants of west tropical Africa.
Distribution
order_codeStatusContinentSubcontinentCountryStateNoteReference
1NativeAfricaWest Tropical AfricaBenin  Chomicki, G. & S. S. Renner. 2015. Watermelon origin solved with molecular phylogenetics including Linnaean material: another example of museonomics. New Phytol. 205:526-532.
1NativeAfricaWest Tropical AfricaGhana  Chomicki, G. & S. S. Renner. 2015. Watermelon origin solved with molecular phylogenetics including Linnaean material: another example of museonomics. New Phytol. 205:526-532.
2Cultivated    probably cult. elsewhere in West AfricaPROTABASE, the information base of PROTA (Plant Resources of Tropical Africa) (on-line resource). Note: mentions egusi melon under Citrullus lanatus
2CultivatedAfricaNortheast Tropical AfricaSudan  PROTABASE, the information base of PROTA (Plant Resources of Tropical Africa) (on-line resource). Note: mentions egusi melon under Citrullus lanatus
2CultivatedAfricaWest Tropical AfricaGhana  Fursa, T. B. & A. I. Filov. 1982. Cucurbitaceae (Citrullus, Cucurbita). Kul't. Flora SSSR 21:22.
2CultivatedAfricaWest Tropical AfricaGuinea  Fursa, T. B. & A. I. Filov. 1982. Cucurbitaceae (Citrullus, Cucurbita). Kul't. Flora SSSR 21:22.
2CultivatedAfricaWest Tropical AfricaNigeria  Burkill, H. M. 1985-2004. The useful plants of west tropical Africa. Note: mentions egusi melon under Citrullus lanatus
2CultivatedAfricaWest Tropical AfricaSenegal  Fursa, T. B. & A. I. Filov. 1982. Cucurbitaceae (Citrullus, Cucurbita). Kul't. Flora SSSR 21:22.
2CultivatedAsia-TemperateChinaChina  PROTABASE, the information base of PROTA (Plant Resources of Tropical Africa) (on-line resource). Note: mentions egusi melon under Citrullus lanatus
Native
Africa
  • WEST TROPICAL AFRICA: Benin, Ghana
Cultivated

  • REGION:
Africa
  • NORTHEAST TROPICAL AFRICA: Sudan
  • WEST TROPICAL AFRICA: Ghana, Guinea, Nigeria, Senegal
Asia-Temperate
  • CHINA: China

Reference(s)
  1. PROTABASE, the information base of PROTA (Plant Resources of Tropical Africa) (on-line resource). Note: mentions egusi melon under Citrullus lanatus
  2. Burkill, H. M. 1985-2004. The useful plants of west tropical Africa. Note: mentions egusi melon under Citrullus lanatus
  3. Chomicki, G. & S. S. Renner. 2015. Watermelon origin solved with molecular phylogenetics including Linnaean material: another example of museonomics. New Phytol. 205:526-532.
  4. Fursa, T. B. & A. I. Filov. 1982. Cucurbitaceae (Citrullus, Cucurbita). Kul't. Flora SSSR 21:22.
Economic Uses
UsageTypeNoteReference
Human foodoil/fatas Citrullus lanatusBurkill, H. M. 1985-2004. The useful plants of west tropical Africa. Note: mentions egusi melon under Citrullus lanatus
Human foodseedsas Citrullus lanatusPROTABASE, the information base of PROTA (Plant Resources of Tropical Africa) (on-line resource). Note: mentions egusi melon under Citrullus lanatus
Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2026. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
URL: https://npgstest.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=468433. Accessed 17 April 2026.