Paddy melon

For the small marsupials of the genus Thylogale, see Pademelon.

Paddy melon is a common name for two species of plants in the melon family which are invasive in Australia:[1]

  • Citrullus lanatus, a sprawling plant with fruits much larger than a golf ball, a weedy form of the cultivated watermelon
  • Cucumis myriocarpus, a sprawling plant with fruits smaller than a golf ball. Cucumis myriocarpus, is a summer weed belonging to the cucurbit family, is an annual plant that commonly invades fallow fields and pastures. Its presence leads to a decrease in moisture levels available for winter cereal crops, resulting in diminished crop yields and lower pasture quality.[2]
  1. ^ "Weeds of Western Australia - Paddy melon (Cucumis myriocarpus Naud.)". Journal of Department of Agriculture. 8 (Western Australia, Series 3): 321–323. May 1958.
  2. ^ Shaik, Razia S.; Burrows, Geoffrey E.; Urwin, Nigel A. R.; Gopurenko, David; Lepschi, Brendan J.; Weston, Leslie A. (2017-02-01). "The biology and management of prickly paddy melon (Cucumis myriocarpus L.), an important summer annual weed in Australia". Crop Protection. 92: 29–40. doi:10.1016/j.cropro.2016.10.005. ISSN 0261-2194.