Citrullus lanatus (C. vulgaris ) var. citroides is a member of the Cucurbitaceae (gourd) family. Don't confuse this with the better known fruit also called citron, Citrus medica, which is grown on a small tree and looks like a lemon.

Citron is a close relative of watermelon but it is inedible while fresh. The fruits resemble watermelons and are round to oval, 6 to 12 inches long, light green with darker green stripes and have a smooth surface. Typically the flesh is white, although some light green and pink forms exist, and so tough that fruits can be bounced on the floor with only a small chance of bursting. It is a low, vining plant which can spread a great deal. The plant has both male and female flowers; bees are required for pollination.

It grows as a weed in California and can infest annual crops, orchards, vineyards, roadsides, ditchbanks, and sandy, dry river or creek beds. In the Imperial Valley, it is a troublesome weed in asparagus fields. It is especially undesirable where watermelons are grown because the two plants readily hybridize.

Use. The flesh and rind are sometimes used for making sweet preserves for glace fruit preparation, and for fruitcake. Other reports indicate occasional use as hogfeed. It is rarely grown commercially anymore.

Adapted from James Stephens bulletin Minor Vegetables by Claudia Myers, UC Small Farm Center.