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Post by raymondo on Aug 9, 2011 4:24:46 GMT -5
The melon mentioned in the article, Cucumis picrocarpus (meaning bitter fruit), is just one of at least 6 native Australian plants in the genus Cucumis. I'm doing a research project on them currently. A Dutch vegetable breeding company has expressed great interest because of the possibility of disease resistances that may exist in these wild melon species which may be transferrable to the common melon.
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Post by mareebawatermelons on Mar 16, 2012 18:15:19 GMT -5
Just saying hello I am new to this forun
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Post by traab on Mar 16, 2012 18:38:49 GMT -5
Marebawatermelons you picked an interesting thread on which to say hello. I am sure you will have much to add to this network of growers. Welcome to the site.
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Post by castanea on Mar 16, 2012 19:42:18 GMT -5
Just saying hello I am new to this forun Welcome, what else do you grow in Mareeba?
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Post by raymondo on Mar 16, 2012 22:18:16 GMT -5
Welcome. Is it Mareeba NQ?
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Post by templeton on Mar 17, 2012 8:41:09 GMT -5
hi, mareeba. Ray, are all the paddy melons native? I was under the impression that most of the 'weedy' ones were introduced. And what's the phylogenetic story? How did the natives get here from Africa? Hitch a ride on a Boab?
And typical, if i can have a bit of a whinge - it takes an overseas company to have the vision to see the potential of something we kick across paddocks for fun. T
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Post by raymondo on Mar 17, 2012 16:26:58 GMT -5
T, what is commonly referred to as paddy melon could be any one of a number of species. A couple are introduced like Cucumis myriocarpus, the one with the soft spines. It's poisonous as far as I know. Then there's wild watermelon. They're small though and probably quite bitter. It's not Cucumis of course. Only C. myriocarpus is introduced, brought over by the Afghani camel herders way back when. It is fairly certain that all the other Cucumis species here are native, including C. melo. I will have to dig out the papers and look up the phylogeny.
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Post by 12540dumont on Mar 17, 2012 18:35:39 GMT -5
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Post by raymondo on Mar 18, 2012 3:46:49 GMT -5
They may get a little blemished on the trip over!
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