Citrullis ecirrhosus

[Day]

While finalizing my seed shopping for 2018, I stumbled across a website I've never seen before called Strictly Medicinal Seeds. Not really up my alley, as far as what I grow, but I casually browsed through their online catalogue anyway, and found this:

strictlymedicinalseeds.com/product/melon-namib-tsamma-citrullis-ecirrhosus-packet-of-10-seeds/

Having never heard of it, I did some brief/skimming research, but there wasn't much to be found -- the wikipedia page is extremely sparse, and references in genetic articles are more like distracted sidenotes in larger articles dealing with C. Lanatus or Citron.

So I was wondering if anyone here knew more about C. ecirrhosus or has ever tried growing it themselves, either as an independent project or in an attempt to cross it with... something. Though I have zero plans to attempt either, ithas piqued my interest (future biennial watermelon?) and I'd love to pick y'all's brains on the topic, should you know anything more about it.

[walt]

academic.oup.com/aob/article/116/2/133/180059

[walt]

academic.oup.com/aob/article/116/2/133/180059


www.exotic-plants.de/seeds/caudiciforms/Citrullus-ecirrhosus.php

Looks like it crosses with domestic watermelon.  Being a tropical desert plant, it might be used as a  perennial rootstock for watermelon.  Not much use to me as it is down to 0 F yesterday.  Not exactly tropical.  I noted in one reference that domestic watermelon slows root growth in response to drought.  This species speeds root growth under the same conditions.

[Day]

walt thanks for the links! I've been on the road for a few days, so I haven't had a chance to read them yet, but these will definitely be tomorrow's reading.

I always find it interesting when seeds for rare/uncommon varieties only appear on a single site. I haven't seen these seeds offered anywhere else before, and I have 89 seed websites currently bookmarked I Though I haven't been specifically looking for them, either.

edit: didn't realize one of the links you posted was another site selling seeds, so scratch the above!

[blueadzuki]

Dec 28, 2017 13:06:58 GMT -5 walt said:

academic.oup.com/aob/article/116/2/133/180059


www.exotic-plants.de/seeds/caudiciforms/Citrullus-ecirrhosus.php

Looks like it crosses with domestic watermelon.  Being a tropical desert plant, it might be used as a  perennial rootstock for watermelon.  Not much use to me as it is down to 0 F yesterday.  Not exactly tropical.  I noted in one reference that domestic watermelon slows root growth in response to drought.  This species speeds root growth under the same conditions.

Have you ever actually bought anything from these people? Some of their seed looks interesting particularity this (link) but the photo looks suspiciously like what I would see on an Asian site that used bad Photoshop.

[steev]

Their selection of carnivorous plants is remarkable.

[Day]

blueadzuki I have not bought from either the link walt posted or the link I posted above. I'm 99.99% positive black/blue/purple strawberries don't exist as of this moment, though who's to say when it will become profitable for companies/people/whoever to simply Genetically Modify species to be technicolor.

This article, while a conversational (not academic) piece, is a quick interesting read on the subject of black/blue/purple strawberries and their 'origin story' - www.superfoodly.com/blue-strawberry/