Citrullus naudinianus

(Sond.) Hook.fil. · species

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Plantae/Tracheophyta/Magnoliopsida/Cucurbitales/Cucurbitaceae/Citrullus

At a glance

Occurrence records333

Data sources9

Biological traits21

DNA specimens4

eDNA detections3

Sources9 archives

Databases and archives Citrullus naudinianus's data was compiled from.

WikipediaWikimedia Foundation5 languages↗

BioWikiNetmultilingual Wikipediamultilingual↗

GBIFGlobal Biodiversity Information Facility333 records↗

ENAEuropean Nucleotide Archive · EMBL-EBI3 eDNA detections↗

BOLD SystemsCentre for Biodiversity Genomics4 specimens↗

GRIN TaxonomyUSDA-ARSdistribution & uses↗

CCDBChromosome Counts DB · Tel Aviv U.genome & karyotype↗

GoaTGenomes on a Tree · Sangergenome & karyotype↗

GLoBIGlobal Biotic Interactionsbiotic interactions↗

On this page6 sections

Every layer below draws on the sources above — open one to explore it, or use ← → to move between tabs.

NarrativeWikipediaarticle

Traits & measurements3 literature sources21 traits

Occurrence & distributionGBIF333 records

Environmental DNA1 datasets · 2 countries3 detections

DNA & barcodingBOLD4 specimens

Genome at a glanceCCDB · GoaT≈364 Mbp

01Narrative

Acanthosicyos naudinianus, known as the Gemsbok cucumber, is a perennial African melon with edible fruits and seeds.Grubben, G.J.H. & Denton, O.A. (2004) Plant Resources of Tropical Africa 2. Vegetables. PROTA Foundation, Wageningen; Backhuys, Leiden; CTA, Wageningen.

No narrative description available for this taxon yet.

02Traits & measurements

SourcesWCVPGIFTTRY

Size & morphology7

Plant height1 m

Seed mass106 mg

Seed mass max136 mg

Seed mass min47.35 mg

Seed volume110 mm³

Seed volume max110 mm³

Seed volume min110 mm³

Life cycle & reproduction3

Life formtuberous geophyte

Life spanperennial

Self fertilizationabsent

Diet & foraging1

Parasiteindependent

Habitat & environment9

Aquaticterrestrial

Climatedesert or dry shrubland

Climberself-supporting

Elevation max1 695 m

Elevation min380 m

Epiphyteterrestrial

Fruit fleshinessfleshy

Growth formherb

Woodinessnon-woody

Physiology & chemistry1

Nitrogen fixingnon_nitrogen_fixer

05DNA & barcoding4 specimens

A DNA barcode is a short, standardised stretch of genes that works like a fingerprint — enough to tell one species from another. Below is the molecular trace Citrullus naudinianus has left across the world's sequence archives.

At a glance

DNA specimens4

Marker genes3

eDNA detections3

Countries2

Marker genes sequenced

★ the standard DNA barcode for this group — the short region actually read to tell this species apart. The rest are extra genes sequenced along the way.

★matK★rbcLa★ITS

plant barcodefungal barcode

06Genome at a glanceCCDB · GoaT

The complete instruction manual Citrullus naudinianus carries — its genome. We read it from three angles — how big it is, how the DNA is packed into chromosomes, and how completely it has been sequenced — and explain how to read each value as you go.

Genome sizehow big the whole instruction manual is

Genome size≈364 335 903 bp assembly estimate

Measured in base pairs (bp) — the individual letters of DNA (human ≈ 3.2 Gb, a bacterium a few million). The chart places this genome on a logarithmic scale — each step to the right is ten times bigger — among reference organisms. Across species a bigger genome loosely tracks with larger cells, slower growth and lower-energy lifestyles (powered flight favours small genomes) — yet it does not imply more genes or a more advanced organism (the long-standing C-value paradox).

BACTERIUM Carsonella ruddii0.00016 Gb

FUNGUS0.04 Gb

INSECT0.25 Gb

THIS GENOME Citrullus naudinianus0.36 Gb

HUMAN3.2 Gb

WHEAT17 Gb

FERN Tmesipteris160.45 Gb

Chromosomes & ploidyhow the DNA is packaged

2n is the full chromosome count in a normal body cell; n is a gamete (egg or sperm), which carries half. Ploidy is how many complete chromosome sets each cell holds — 2× (diploid) is typical for animals, while higher levels (polyploidy) are common in plants. Click any value below to see the underlying records and sources.

Chromosomes2n = 22 n = 11

Chromosome records22–222n range22median22mode2records

Chromosome-count records — grouped by value · 2n = full set, n = gamete · click a value for sources & references

2n 222×CCDB · book-ipcn67-71 · CCDB · Cave1962

CCDB · book-ipcn67-71 — ANGHEL, I. 1969. studies on the cytology and evolution of the Citrullus vulgaris. Comunicari de Bot. (Bucharest) 11: 49-55.

CCDB · Cave1962 — Shimotsuma 1961

Sequencing statusassembly quality — how far to trust these numbers

Assembly level tells you how finished the sequence is — from fragmented contigs, through scaffolds, up to a full chromosome-level assembly. BUSCO % estimates completeness: the share of genes expected to be present that were actually found. These describe the data quality, not the organism.

Assembly levelComplete Genome

08Occurrence & distribution

Record type333 records

Wild obs. + sensor325

Museum / vouchered8

Range

Area of Occupancy AOO1 064 km²

Wildobservation + sensor

Human sightings and records, or camera-trap / sensor detections — someone (or a device) saw or captured the species in the wild.

Coordinate accuracy89% within 1 km

≤100 m 210≤1 km 29≤10 km 11>10 km 20

270 georeferenced · 55 without coordinates

Open the mapobservation + sensor325

Museum / Voucheredphysical evidence

Backed by a physical specimen — a herbarium sheet, sample or voucher held in a collection. “Vouchered” means supported by material evidence, not just an observation.

Coordinate accuracy100% within 1 km

≤1 km 1

1 georeferenced · 7 without coordinates

Open the institutions mapphysical evidence8

Wildobservation + sensor

Human sightings and records, or camera-trap / sensor detections — someone (or a device) saw or captured the species in the wild.

10Collections & institutions

Holding institutions1 of 4 geolocated

Institutions and collections holding physical, vouchered specimens of this species — click a row to fly to it on the map.

Institution	Specimens
Paris, FR	2
University of Stellenboschlocation not on record	2
North-West University, A.P. Goossens Herbariumlocation not on record	1
MeiseBGlocation not on record	1

4 institutions · 6 of 8 vouchered records shown · 1 without an institution code

09Environmental DNA3 detections

Where the DNA of Citrullus naudinianus was picked up in samples of water, soil or air — nobody saw the organism, only its DNA left behind. A trace is a clue that the species was near, not a confirmed sighting.

Signal

Detections DNA found3

Studies independent surveys1

Countries2

Signal confidence: weakweighed across independent studies, places & mapped detections

Where its DNA was found

0 of 3 detections have coordinates

Open the map2 countries0

How strong is each trace?

DNA read depthRead counts were not reported for this species — the map shows presence only, not how strong each trace was.

Modelled climatemodelled

−15°Ctemperature across detection sites+40°C

Temperature median21.0 °C 19.8–22.1

Seasonal swing summer↔winter11.8 °C

Max temp (day)27.0 °C 26.6–27.4

Min temp (night)14.6 °C 12.9–16.3

Precipitation53.3 mm/mo 34.7–71.9

Air humidity50.3 % 46.5–54.1

Moisture balance-86.8 mm/mo -111–-63.1

Vapour deficit1,242 Pa 1,224–1,259

Wind speed2.60 m/s 2.00–3.30

Cloud cover26.8 % 25.0–28.7

CHELSA 1981–2010, ~9 km grid, at location & month of 2 detection points · median with p10–p90 · reflects where sampling happened, not only the true niche

How to read this: each dot is one detection of this species' DNA in an environmental sample. The confidence meter weighs how many independent studies and places back up the signal — one detection in one study is a hint; many across several studies is solid. Records dated before 2008 (when eDNA methods began) are treated as likely mislabeled and left off the map.

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