Botanical identity
This taxon is documented in the World Checklist of Useful Plant Species with a reported medicinal use. The record establishes a use report and botanical index entry, not clinical effectiveness or individual safety.
KingdomPlantae
Phylum / divisionTracheophyta
ClassMagnoliopsida
OrderCucurbitales
FamilyCucurbitaceae
GenusCitrullus
Scientific name with authorshipCitrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai
Indexed scientific synonyms
Anguria citrullus (L.) Mill.Citrullus aedulis PangaloCitrullus anguria (Duchesne) H.HaraCitrullus aquosus SchurCitrullus battich Forssk.Citrullus battich var. lanatus (Thunb.) H.HaraCitrullus caffrorum Schrad.Citrullus chodospermus Falc. & DunalCitrullus citrullus (L.) H.Karst.Citrullus citrullus (L.) SmallCitrullus colocynthis var. lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & NakaiCitrullus edulis PangaloCitrullus edulis SpachCitrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Mansf.Citrullus lanatus f. nigroseminius (Chakrav.) Maheshw.Citrullus lanatus subsp. cordophanus Ter-Avan.Citrullus lanatus subsp. vulgaris (Schrad.) FursaCitrullus lanatus var. albidus (Chakrav.) Maheshw.Citrullus lanatus var. caffrorum (Alef.) FosbergCitrullus lanatus var. cordophanus (Ter-Avan.) FursaCitrullus lanatus var. minor (Chakrav.) Maheshw.Citrullus lanatus var. mucosospermus FursaCitrullus lanatus var. oblongus (Chakrav.) Maheshw.Citrullus lanatus var. pulcherrimus (Chakrav.) Maheshw.Citrullus lanatus var. pumilus (Chakrav.) Maheshw.Citrullus lanatus var. rotundus (Chakrav.) Maheshw.Citrullus lanatus var. shami (Chakrav.) Maheshw.Citrullus lanatus var. variegatus (Chakrav.) Maheshw.Citrullus lanatus var. virgatus (Chakrav.) Maheshw.Citrullus lanatus var. viridis (Chakrav.) Maheshw.Citrullus lanatus var. vulgaris (Schrad.) FursaCitrullus pasteca SageretCitrullus vulgaris Schrad.Citrullus vulgaris Schrad. ex Eckl. & Zeyh.Citrullus vulgaris var. caffrorum Alef.Citrullus vulgaris var. depressus Alef.Citrullus vulgaris var. ellipsoideus Alef.Citrullus vulgaris var. erythrospermus Alef.Citrullus vulgaris var. jacaeus Alef.Citrullus vulgaris var. lanatus (Thunb.) L.H.BaileyCitrullus vulgaris var. maximus Alef.Citrullus vulgaris var. naudinii Alef.Citrullus vulgaris var. pasteca (Sageret) Alef.Citrullus vulgaris var. rimosus Tod.Colocynthis amarissima Schltdl.Colocynthis amarissima Schrad.Colocynthis citrullus (L.) KuntzeColocynthis citrullus FritschCucumis amarissimus Schrad.Cucumis citrullus (L.) Ser.Cucumis citrullus Dumort., 1827Cucumis citrullus var. jace Ser.Cucumis citrullus var. pasteca Ser.Cucumis dissectus Decne.Cucumis edulis Steud.Cucumis laciniosus Eckl.Cucumis laciniosus Eckl. ex Schrad.Cucumis laciniosus Eckl. ex Steud.Cucumis melo f. minor Chakrav.Cucumis melo var. oblongus Chakrav.Cucumis melo var. rotundus Chakrav.Cucumis melo var. virgatus Chakrav.Cucumis purpureus NoronhaCucumis vulgaris (Schrad. ex Eckl. & Zeyh.) E.H.L.KrauseCucurbita anguria DuchesneCucurbita caffra Eckl. & Zeyh.Cucurbita citrullus L.Cucurbita gigantea Salisb.Cucurbita pinnatifida SchrankMomordica lanata Thunb.
Documented use categories
Medicine
Human food
Animal food
Environmental use
Fuel
Gene source
Material
Poison reported
Social use
Crop wild relative
These categories describe the kinds of human-use reports attached to the taxon in the source checklist. Multiple categories can coexist; a plant may be recorded as both food and poison, depending on part, preparation and context.
How to interpret this record
Evidence boundary
A taxonomic use record is a discovery and indexing signal. Clinical evidence must be assessed separately for the exact species, plant part, preparation, route, dose and health question.
Safety boundary
Correct identification is essential. Toxicity, contraindications, interactions and safe preparation cannot be inferred from a documented-use record.
Dataset record and provenance
DatasetWCUPS 2020
LicenceCC BY 4.0
Name sourceIPNI
IPNI / external identifier291938-1
Use codesAF EU FU GS HF MA ME PO SU
Crop wild relativeYes
Contributing checklist sources
Kew Economic Botany CollectionUSDA GRINMedicinal Plant Names Services v8.2Useful Plants of New GuineaPlant Resources of South-East AsiaPlant Resources for Tropical AfricaSEPASALUseful Plant ProjectUseful Plants of West Tropical AfricaMalaria and Fever in Latin America
Read the full dataset citation, licence and import methodology →
!Educational index, not a treatment recommendation
The presence of a taxon in this database does not provide a diagnosis, dose, formulation or assurance of safety. Some indexed plants are toxic, regulated, endangered or unsafe in specific life stages.