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58-517: Sandía means watermelon in Spanish , and is popularly believed to be a reference to the reddish color of the mountains at sunset. Also, when viewed from the west, the profile of the mountains is a long ridge, with a thin zone of green conifers near the top, suggesting the "rind" of the watermelon. However, as Robert Julyan notes, "the most likely explanation is the one believed by the Sandia Indians:

116-652: A vegetable , stir-fried or stewed . Citrullis lanatus , variety caffer , grows wild in the Kalahari Desert , where it is known as tsamma . The fruits are used by the San people and wild animals for both water and nourishment, allowing survival on a diet of tsamma for six weeks. The watermelon is used variously as a symbol of Palestinian resistance , of the Kherson region in Ukraine, and of eco-socialism , as in 'green on

174-626: A common origin, possibly cultivated in the Nile Valley by 2340 BC. Watermelon fruit is 91% water , contains 6% sugars, and is low in fat (table). In a 100-gram ( 3 + 1 ⁄ 2 -ounce) serving, watermelon fruit supplies 125 kilojoules (30 kilocalories) of food energy and low amounts of essential nutrients (see table). Only vitamin C is present in appreciable content at 10% of the Daily Value (table). Watermelon pulp contains carotenoids , including lycopene . The amino acid citrulline

232-513: A few subspecies of the often-numerous Engelmann prickly pear ( Opuntia engelmannii ). From 7,200 to 7,800 ft (2,200 to 2,400 m), in the Transition Zone , Ponderosa Pine dominates, and evergreen oaks change to more cold-tolerant deciduous oaks. From 7,800 to 9,800 ft (2,400 to 3,000 m), a mixture of conifers occurs in the Canadian Zone ; Gambel oak ( Quercus gambelii )

290-830: A pH between 5.7 and 7.2. Major pests of the watermelon include aphids , fruit flies , and root-knot nematodes . In conditions of high humidity, the plants are prone to plant diseases such as powdery mildew and mosaic virus . Some varieties often grown in Japan and other parts of the Far East are susceptible to fusarium wilt . Grafting such varieties onto disease-resistant rootstocks offers protection. The US Department of Agriculture recommends using at least one beehive per acre (4,000 m per hive) for pollination of conventional, seeded varieties for commercial plantings. Seedless hybrids have sterile pollen. This requires planting pollinizer rows of varieties with viable pollen. Since

348-913: A prehistoric archaeological site located in southwestern Libya . This archaeobotanical discovery may support the possibility that the plant was more widely distributed in the past. In the 7th century , watermelons were being cultivated in India, and by the 10th century had reached China. The Moors introduced the fruit into the Iberian Peninsula , and there is evidence of it being cultivated in Córdoba in 961 and also in Seville in 1158. It spread northwards through southern Europe , perhaps limited in its advance by summer temperatures being insufficient for good yields. The fruit had begun appearing in European herbals by 1600, and

406-596: A prehistoric site in Libya that dates to approximately 3500 BC. In 2022, a study was released that traced 6,000-year-old watermelon seeds found in the Libyan desert to the Egusi seeds of Nigeria , West Africa. Watermelons were domesticated in north-east Africa and cultivated in Egypt by 2000 BC, although they were not the sweet modern variety. Sweet dessert watermelons spread across

464-551: A sacred mountain of the South of the Tewa . The Sandias are a small range, a part of the Basin and Range Province , but built by a different phenomenon known as rifting , consisting of a single north–south ridge, which rises to two major summits: Sandia Crest and South Sandia Peak , 9,782 ft (2,982 m). The range measures approximately 17 miles (27 km) north-south, and the width in

522-428: A variety with sweet yellow flesh that is cultivated around the world for fodder and the production of citron peel and pectin . (syn. C. lanatus var. caffer ) C. caffer Schrad. is a synonym of C. amarus Schrad. The variety known as tsamma is grown for its juicy white flesh. The variety was an important food source for travellers in the Kalahari Desert . Another variety known as karkoer or bitterboela

580-641: A wide geographical area. It produced high yields and was resistant to the most serious watermelon diseases: anthracnose and fusarium wilt . Others were also working on disease-resistant cultivars; J. M. Crall at the University of Florida produced 'Jubilee' in 1963 and C. V. Hall of Kansas State University produced 'Crimson Sweet' the following year. These are no longer grown to any great extent, but their lineage has been further developed into hybrid varieties with higher yields, better flesh quality and attractive appearance. Another objective of plant breeders has been

638-526: Is botanically called a pepo . The sweet, juicy flesh is usually deep red to pink, with many black seeds, although seedless varieties exist. The fruit can be eaten raw or pickled , and the rind is edible after cooking. It may also be consumed as a juice or an ingredient in mixed beverages. Kordofan melons from Sudan are the closest relatives and may be progenitors of modern, cultivated watermelons. Wild watermelon seeds were found in Uan Muhuggiag ,

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696-469: Is monoecious . The male flowers predominate at the beginning of the season; the female flowers, which develop later, have inferior ovaries. The styles are united into a single column. The large fruit is a kind of modified berry called a pepo with a thick rind ( exocarp ) and fleshy center ( mesocarp and endocarp). Wild plants have fruits up to 20 cm (8 in) in diameter, while cultivated varieties may exceed 60 cm (24 in). The rind of

754-469: Is a flowering plant species of the Cucurbitaceae family and the name of its edible fruit . A scrambling and trailing vine -like plant, it is a highly cultivated fruit worldwide, with more than 1,000 varieties . Watermelon is grown in favorable climates from tropical to temperate regions worldwide for its large edible fruit , which is a berry with a hard rind and no internal divisions, and

812-633: Is also a popular path for motorcycle riders with its miles of winding road to the summit. The Sandia Mountains are the most visited range in New Mexico. Numerous hiking trails exist on both sides of the range, such as the popular La Luz Trail and Crest Trail. Much of the west side of the range is included in the Sandia Mountain Wilderness ; the trails on that side are steeper, and water is very scarce. Numerous picnic and recreation sites can be found on NM 536. These sites, along with some sites on

870-705: Is at its upper natural range in this zone. Finally, from 9,800 ft (3,000 m) to the Sandia Crest at 10,678 ft (3,255 m), mostly on the eastern slopes, Engelmann spruce and white fir dominate the Hudsonian Zone. On the eastern slopes of the Sandia Mountains, the life zones respond to a cooler climate than the western slopes, plus mostly limestone bedrock. Broadleaf evergreen plants, some succulents, and those with Chihuahuan Desert affinities are mostly absent, though other characteristics correspond to

928-447: Is densely woolly with yellowish-brown hairs which disappear as the plant ages. Like all but one species in the genus Citrullus , watermelon has branching tendrils . Plants have unisexual male or female flowers that are white or yellow and borne on 40-millimetre-long ( 1 + 1 ⁄ 2  in) hairy stalks. Each flower grows singly in the leaf axils, and the species' sexual system , with male and female flowers produced on each plant,

986-1294: Is part of the Upper Sonoran Zone. From 5,500 to 7,200 ft (1,700 to 2,200 m) on the milder climate western slopes of the Sandia Mountains on mostly granitic bedrock, the Upper Sonoran Zone is found. A juniper savanna mixes with desert grassland in lower elevations, while slightly higher a mixed Piñon -Juniper-Oak zone expands outward and upward from arroyos, including a thin cover of grasses such as black grama ( Bouteloua eriopoda ), sideoats grama ( Bouteloua curtipendula ), and blue grama ( Bouteloua gracilis ). Broadleaf evergreen shrubs and dwarfed trees are common including shrub live oak ( Quercus turbinella ), gray oak ( Quercus grisea ), and hairy mountain mahogany ( Cercocarpus breviflorus ). Rosette succulents include beargrass ( Nolina greenei ), banana yucca ( Yucca baccata ), Navajo yucca ( Yucca baileyi ), and various cacti. Deciduous shrubs include threeleaf sumac ( Rhus trilobata ) and wafer ash ( Ptelea trifoliata ). Some plants of Chihuahuan Desert affinities are found in this area, including oreganillo ( Aloysia wrightii ), mariola ( Parthenium incanum ), desert marigold ( Baileya spp.), and

1044-531: Is possible, a 26-mile hike with over 4,000 feet in elevation gain. The Sandias contain a location notable for prehistoric archaeology: the Sandia Cave was believed by some in the 1930s to the 1950s to have been inhabited 10000 to 12000 years ago by the "Sandia Man," a cultural classification that is no longer used. The cave can be accessed via a 1/2 mile trail in Las Huertas Canyon, on the northeast side of

1102-500: Is produced in watermelon rind . A number of cultivar groups have been identified: (syn. C. lanatus subsp. lanatus var. citroides ; C. lanatus var. citroides ; C. vulgaris var. citroides ) DNA data reveal that C. lanatus var. citroides Bailey is the same as Thunberg's bitter wooly melon, C. lanatus and also the same as C. amarus Schrad. It is not a form of the sweet watermelon C. vulgaris nor closely related to that species. The citron melon or makataan –

1160-697: Is unpalatable to humans, but the seeds may be eaten. A small-fruited form with a bumpy skin has caused poisoning in sheep. This is Linnaeus's sweet watermelon; it has been grown for human consumption for thousands of years. This West African species is the closest wild relative of the watermelon. It is cultivated for cattle feed. Additionally, other wild species have bitter fruit containing cucurbitacin . C. colocynthis (L.) Schrad. ex Eckl. & Zeyh., C. rehmii De Winter, and C. naudinianus (Sond.) Hook.f. The more than 1,200 cultivars of watermelon range in weight from less than 1 kilogram ( 2 + 1 ⁄ 4 pounds) to more than 90 kg (200 lb);

1218-568: The Albuquerque Basin . The core of the range consists of Sandia granite , with a U-Pb age of 1453±12 million years. There is also some metamorphic rock of age 1.60 billion years. This is topped by a relatively thin layer (approximately 300 feet (91 meters) of sedimentary rock (mostly limestone , and some sandstone ) of Pennsylvanian age (circa 300 million years ago). The limestone contains marine fossils including crinoids, brachiopods, gastropods, horn corals, and bryozoans. However, most of

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1276-521: The Great Basin sagebrush desert, yet both are classified as Upper Sonoran. However it is still sometimes referred to by biologists (and anthropologists) working in the western United States . Much more detailed and empirically based classifications of vegetation and life zones now exist for most areas of the world, such as the list of world ecoregions defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature , or

1334-462: The list of North American ecoregions defined by the Commission for Environmental Cooperation . In 1947, Leslie Holdridge published a life zone classification using indicators of: Biotemperature refers to all temperatures above freezing, with all temperatures below freezing adjusted to 0 °C, as plants are dormant at these temperatures. Holdridge's system uses biotemperature first, rather than

1392-522: The 21st century, rising to nearly 85% of total watermelon sales in the United States in 2014. A melon from the Kordofan region of Sudan – the kordofan melon – may be the progenitor of the modern, domesticated watermelon. The kordofan melon shares with the domestic watermelon loss of the bitterness gene while maintaining a sweet taste, unlike other wild African varieties from other regions, indicating

1450-732: The Mediterranean world during Roman times . Considerable breeding effort has developed disease-resistant varieties. Many cultivars are available that produce mature fruit within 100 days of planting. In 2017, China produced about two-thirds of the world's total of watermelons. The watermelon is an annual that has a prostrate or climbing habit. Stems are up to 3 metres (10 feet) long and new growth has yellow or brown hairs. Leaves are 60 to 200 millimetres ( 2 + 1 ⁄ 4 to 7 + 3 ⁄ 4 inches) long and 40 to 150 mm ( 1 + 1 ⁄ 2 to 6 in) wide. These usually have three lobes that are lobed or doubly lobed. Young growth

1508-513: The North American continent, but that system is rarely referred to. The life zones that Merriam identified, along with characteristic plants, are as follows: The Canadian and Hudsonian life zones are commonly combined into a Boreal life zone. This system has been criticized as being too imprecise. For example, the scrub oak chaparral in Arizona shares relatively few plant and animal species with

1566-682: The Spaniards, when they encountered the Pueblo in 1540, called it Sandia, because they thought the squash gourds growing there were watermelons, and the name Sandia soon was transferred to the mountains east of the pueblo." In Southern Tiwa, Posu gai hoo-oo means where water slides down arroyo . Sandia Pueblo Indians, who are Tiwa speakers, sometimes call the mountain Bien Mur , "big mountain". In Tewa, O:ku:p’į means turtle mountain (oku, turtle; p’į, mountain). The Sandias are mentioned in pueblo mythology as

1624-611: The abolition of slavery. After the Civil War, black people were maligned for their association with watermelon. The sentiment evolved into a racist stereotype where black people shared a supposed voracious appetite for watermelon, a fruit long associated with laziness and uncleanliness. Seedless watermelons were initially developed in 1939 by Japanese scientists who were able to create seedless triploid hybrids which remained rare initially because they did not have sufficient disease resistance . Seedless watermelons became more popular in

1682-644: The bitter wooly melon Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai are not closely related to each other. A proposal to conserve the name, Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai, was accepted by the nomenclature committee and confirmed at the International Botanical Congress in 2017. Prior to 2015, the wild species closest to Citrullus lanatus was assumed to be the tendril-less melon Citrullus ecirrhosus Cogn. from South African arid regions based on an erroneously identified 18th-century specimen. However, after phylogenetic analysis,

1740-473: The changes in these communities with an increase in latitude at a constant elevation are similar to the changes seen with an increase in elevation at a constant latitude. The life zones Merriam identified are most applicable to western North America , being developed on the San Francisco Peaks , Arizona and Cascade Range of the northwestern USA. He tried to develop a system that is applicable across

1798-413: The closest relative to Citrullus lanatus is now thought to be Citrullus mucosospermus (Fursa) from West Africa (from Senegal to Nigeria), which is also sometimes considered a subspecies within C. lanatus . Watermelon populations from Sudan are also close to domesticated watermelons. The bitter wooly melon was formally described by Carl Peter Thunberg in 1794 and given the name Momordica lanata . It

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1856-603: The east–west direction varies from 4 to 8 miles (6.4 to 12.9 km). The west side of the range is steep and rugged, with a number of sheer rock walls and towers near Sandia Crest. The east side has a gentler slope. The Sandias are part of a single larger geologic unit, the Sandia–Manzano Mountains , which consists of two other parts: the Manzanita Mountains and the Manzano Mountains (both of which lie to

1914-402: The edible var. vulgaris may be the most important. This taxonomy originated with the erroneous synonymization of the wooly melon Citrullus lanatus with the sweet watermelon Citrullus vulgaris by L.H. Bailey in 1930. Molecular data, including sequences from the original collection of Thunberg and other relevant type material, show that the sweet watermelon ( Citrullus vulgaris Schrad.) and

1972-411: The elimination of the seeds which occur scattered throughout the flesh. This has been achieved through the use of triploid varieties, but these are sterile, and the cost of producing the seed by crossing a tetraploid parent with a normal diploid parent is high. As of 2017, farmers in approximately 44 states in the United States grew watermelon commercially, producing more than $ 500 million worth of

2030-541: The flesh can be red, pink, orange, yellow or white. Charles Fredrick Andrus, a horticulturist at the USDA Vegetable Breeding Laboratory in Charleston, South Carolina , set out to produce a disease-resistant and wilt-resistant watermelon. The result, in 1954, was "that gray melon from Charleston". Its oblong shape and hard rind made it easy to stack and ship. Its adaptability meant it could be grown over

2088-526: The flesh of the watermelon to develop a large hole, sometimes in an intricate, symmetric shape. Watermelons suffering from hollow heart are safe to consume. Farmers of the Zentsuji region of Japan found a way to grow cubic watermelons by growing the fruits in metal and glass boxes and making them assume the shape of the receptacle. The cubic shape was originally designed to make the melons easier to stack and store, but these " square watermelons " may be triple

2146-681: The fossils are too small for the human eye to detect. Potassium - feldspar (K-spar) crystals embedded within the Sandia granite give the mountains their distinct pink color. Entirely located within the Arizona/New Mexico Mountains ecoregion , per the Bailey's Ecoregions (US Forest Service) and the EPA Ecoregions systems, the Sandia Mountains vary much in land form, climate, species. Affinities with interior chaparral occur on lower elevations of

2204-421: The fruit annually. Georgia, Florida, Texas, California and Arizona are the United States' largest watermelon producers, with Florida producing more watermelon than any other state. This now-common fruit is often large enough that groceries often sell half or quarter melons. Some smaller, spherical varieties of watermelon—both red- and yellow-fleshed—are sometimes called "icebox melons". The largest recorded fruit

2262-438: The fruit is mid- to dark green and usually mottled or striped, and the flesh, containing numerous pips spread throughout the inside, can be red or pink (most commonly), orange, yellow, green or white. A bitter watermelon, C. amarus , has become naturalized in semiarid regions of several continents, and is designated as a "pest plant" in parts of Western Australia where they are called "pig melon". The sweet watermelon

2320-583: The higher Sangre de Cristo Mountains . This gives Sandia Crest a relatively high topographic prominence of 4,098 ft (1,249 m). Lying to the east and northeast of the Sandias are two smaller ranges, the Ortiz Mountains and the San Pedro Mountains. The Sandia Mountains are home to the world's second longest tramway, Sandia Peak Tramway , which is 2.7 miles (4.3 km) long. Over this distance

2378-462: The long hikes (often off-trail) required to reach many of the climbs, and the variable quality of rock (often poor), prevent the Sandias from being a major climbing destination. Both Sandia Peak and Sandia Crest are popular launching sites for recreational hang gliding due to the sheer drop-offs to the west. Launches at the Peak occur throughout the summer. Walking the entire spine of the Sandia Mountains

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2436-429: The outside, red on the inside'. In the United States, it has also been used as a racist stereotype associated with African Americans . Watermelons are plants grown from tropical to temperate climates, needing temperatures higher than about 25 °C (77 °F) to thrive. On a garden scale, seeds are usually sown in pots under cover and transplanted into the ground. Ideal conditions are a well-drained sandy loam with

2494-596: The price of normal ones, so appeal mainly to wealthy urban consumers. Pyramid-shaped watermelons have also been developed, and any polyhedral shape may potentially be used. Watermelons, which are called tsamma in Khoisan language and makataan in Tswana language , are important water sources in South Africa , the Kalahari Desert , and East Africa for both humans and animals. In 2020, global production of watermelons

2552-524: The range are on Sandia Pueblo land; there have been disputes in the past between the Pueblo, the Forest Service, and private landowners over rights to various parts of the range. The people of Sandia Pueblo consider the mountains a sacred place. In 1970, the hippie community of Tawapa was established near the Sandia Mountains. However, in the 1990s Tawapa ceased to exist. Notes Bibliography Watermelon Watermelon ( Citrullus lanatus )

2610-403: The range, near Placitas, New Mexico . Ancestral and early Pueblo peoples have lived in the Sandia Mountains area for thousands of years. Examples of previous Pueblo settlements, now unoccupied, include Tijeras Pueblo and Pa'ako Pueblo, both founded around 700 years ago. Sandia Pueblo is a modern pueblo, abutting the Sandia Mountains on the northwest side of the range. Some of the foothills of

2668-480: The same life zones on the western slope, except at slightly lower elevations. In the east slope's portion of the Upper Sonoran and Transition zones, alligator juniper ( Juniperus deppeana ) occurs, absent on the western slopes. All zone boundary elevations are approximate, depending on microclimate or aspect of the land. One can reach the top of the Sandias via two easy ways. The Sandia Peak Tramway ascends from

2726-562: The south of the Sandias). The Sandia mountains are separated from the Manzano mountains by the Manzanitas. One of the notable features in the Sandia mountains is Tijeras Canyon which leads to a historically important pass; the canyon is traversed by Interstate 40 , following the route of historic U.S. Route 66 . The Sandias are the highest range in the immediate vicinity, and are well-separated from

2784-440: The supply of viable pollen is reduced, and pollination is much more critical in producing the seedless variety, the recommended number of hives per acre increases to three hives per acre ( 1,300 m per hive). Watermelons have a longer growing period than other melons and can often take 85 days or more from the time of transplanting for the fruit to mature. Lack of pollen is thought to contribute to "hollow heart" which causes

2842-537: The tram cars ascend over 4,000 feet (1,200 m). The average speed of the tram car is 12 mph (19 km/h), and the length of the ride is approximately 15 minutes. The Sandia Mountains are a fault block range, on the eastern edge of the Rio Grande Rift Valley. The Sandias were uplifted in the last ten million years as part of the formation of the Rio Grande Rift. They form the eastern boundary of

2900-511: The west face of the Sandias, require a $ 3 daily use/parking permit as part of the National Fee Program . No developed campgrounds currently exist in the Sandias. The rock walls and pinnacles on the west side of the range provide abundant rock climbing opportunities, from bouldering and top-roping to multi-day big wall climbs on the Shield, the largest rock feature on the mountain. However,

2958-532: The west side to a point on the crestline about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) south of Sandia Crest, at the top of the Sandia Peak Ski Area , which is located on the east side of the mountains. A road ( NM 536 ) from the east provides access to the bottom of the ski area and also to the Sandia Crest itself, where there is a gift shop, restaurant, scenic overlook, and a large electronic communication site with numerous towers and antennas. The Sandia Crest Scenic Byway

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3016-558: The western slopes, while the crest and upper elevations of both slopes have affinities with the Rocky Mountains to the north. The Sandia Mountains also encompass four different named life zones from the base to the top, due to the large changes in elevation, temperature, and precipitation. The desert grassland and savanna at the western base of the mountains (near the eastern edge of the City of Albuquerque, east of about Juan Tabo Boulevard)

3074-435: Was 101.6 million tonnes , with China (mainland) accounting for 60% of the total (60.1 million tonnes). Secondary producers included Turkey , India , Iran , Algeria and Brazil – all having annual production of 2–3 million tonnes in 2020. Life zone The life zone concept was developed by C. Hart Merriam in 1889 as a means of describing areas with similar plant and animal communities. Merriam observed that

3132-793: Was being grown in Massachusetts by 1629, and by 1650 was being cultivated in Peru , Brazil and Panama . Around the same time, Native Americans were cultivating the crop in the Mississippi valley and Florida . Watermelons were rapidly accepted in Hawaii and other Pacific islands when they were introduced there by explorers such as Captain James Cook . In the Civil War era United States, watermelons were commonly grown by free black people and became one symbol for

3190-649: Was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1753 and given the name Cucurbita citrullus . It was reassigned to the genus Citrullus in 1836, under the replacement name Citrullus vulgaris , by the German botanist Heinrich Adolf Schrader . (The International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants does not allow names like " Citrullus citrullus ".) The species is further divided into several varieties, of which bitter wooly melon ( Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai var. lanatus ), citron melons ( Citrullus lanatus var. citroides (L. H. Bailey) Mansf.), and

3248-529: Was grown in Tennessee in 2013 and weighed 159 kilograms (351 pounds). Watermelon is a sweet, commonly consumed fruit of summer, usually as fresh slices, diced in mixed fruit salads , or as juice. Watermelon juice can be blended with other fruit juices or made into wine . The seeds have a nutty flavor and can be dried and roasted, or ground into flour. Watermelon rinds may be eaten, but their unappealing flavor may be overcome by pickling , sometimes eaten as

3306-571: Was reassigned to the genus Citrullus in 1916 by Japanese botanists Jinzō Matsumura and Takenoshin Nakai . Watermelons were originally cultivated for their high water content and stored to be eaten during dry seasons, as a source of both food and water. Watermelon seeds were found in the Dead Sea region at the ancient settlements of Bab edh-Dhra and Tel Arad . Many 5000-year-old wild watermelon seeds ( C. lanatus ) were discovered at Uan Muhuggiag ,

3364-580: Was widely planted in Europe in the 17th century as a minor garden crop. Early watermelons were not sweet, but bitter, with yellowish-white flesh. They were also difficult to open. The modern watermelon, which tastes sweeter and is easier to open, was developed over time through selective breeding . European colonists introduced the watermelon to the New World . Spanish settlers were growing it in Florida in 1576. It

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