How to pronounce watermelon in English: watermelon, English [?w?t?mel?n], American [?w?t?rmel?n].
The introduction of watermelon is as follows:
Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus? (Thunb.) Matsum. amp; Nakai) is an annual creeping vine of the genus Watermelon in the Cucurbitaceae family. Its shape is generally similar to a spherical or Oval, with colors ranging from dark green to light green or with black and green stripes or markings.
Melon seeds are mostly black, oval in shape, with pointed heads; stems and branches are thick, with light yellowish-brown soft edges. Hairy; leaves are paper-like, triangular-ovate, with wavy edges. The flowering and fruiting period is from May to June. Because it was introduced to China from the Western Regions in the 9th century, it was named watermelon.
The origin of watermelon is in the dry desert zone of tropical Africa. It is mainly grown in tropical areas. It has a cultivation history of more than 1,000 years in southern Xinjiang and Central Asia. Watermelon likes a warm and dry climate and is not cold-tolerant. , drought-tolerant, intolerant to moisture, likes sunlight, requires a large amount of fertilizer, and sandy soil with loose soil, deep soil, and good drainage is best.
Propagation methods include grafting and seed propagation, mainly through seed propagation. With the help of external forces or artificial cultivation, new watermelon seedlings will grow. "Daily Materia Medica" records that watermelon is rich in multiple vitamins and has the effect of balancing blood pressure and regulating heart function. Watermelon is known as the king of summer fruits. "If you eat watermelon in summer, you don't need to take any medicine." This folk saying reflects the medicinal value of watermelon.
Historical records: Watermelon was listed as the top fruit in the Imperial Ancestral Temple during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. People called watermelon "tribute melon". In the Qing Dynasty, there was a melon garden in Nanyuan. Emperors Cixi and Jiaqing loved to eat watermelons, so the emperor had a small melon garden specially opened for him. Wang Zhen said in his agricultural book that eating watermelon is like a miraculous awakening, and the nectar refreshes the heart, expressing the value of watermelon as refreshing, thirst-quenching, and sweet as it nourishes the lungs.
China is the world's largest producer of watermelons, but there are different opinions about the origin of watermelons. One theory is that watermelon does not originate from China, but is produced in Africa and spread to the Western Regions, hence the name watermelon.