The New Student's Reference Work/Citrullus

Citrullus (sĭ-trŭl′ŭs). A genus of plants of the gourd family, which includes the watermelon (C. vulgaris). The three species are widely distributed in Africa, the melon belonging to tropical and southern Africa. One of the species (C. colocynthis) from the Mediterranean region yields colocynth, a drug obtained as an extract from the fruit.