Medieval emergence of sweet melons, Cucumis melo (Cucurbitaceae).

Abstract:

BACKGROUND:Sweet melons, Cucumis melo, are a widely grown and highly prized crop. While melons were familiar in antiquity, they were grown mostly for use of the young fruits, which are similar in appearance and taste to cucumbers, C. sativus. The time and place of emergence of sweet melons is obscure, but they are generally thought to have reached Europe from the east near the end of the 15th century. The objective of the present work was to determine where and when truly sweet melons were first developed. METHODS:Given their large size and sweetness, melons are often confounded with watermelons, Citrullus lanatus, so a list was prepared of the characteristics distinguishing between them. An extensive search of literature from the Roman and medieval periods was conducted and the findings were considered in their context against this list and particularly in regard to the use of the word 'melon' and of adjectives for sweetness and colour. FINDINGS:Medieval lexicographies and an illustrated Arabic translation of Dioscorides' herbal suggest that sweet melons were present in Central Asia in the mid-9th century. A travelogue description indicates the presence of sweet melons in Khorasan and Persia by the mid-10th century. Agricultural literature from Andalusia documents the growing of sweet melons, evidently casabas (Inodorous Group), there by the second half of the 11th century, which probably arrived from Central Asia as a consequence of Islamic conquest, trade and agricultural development. Climate and geopolitical boundaries were the likely causes of the delay in the spread of sweet melons into the rest of Europe.

journal_name

Ann Bot

journal_title

Annals of botany

authors

Paris HS,Amar Z,Lev E

doi

10.1093/aob/mcs098

subject

Has Abstract

pub_date

2012-07-01 00:00:00

pages

23-33

issue

1

eissn

0305-7364

issn

1095-8290

pii

mcs098

journal_volume

110

pub_type

杂志文章
  • The storage of green coffee (Coffea arabica): decrease of viability and changes of potential aroma precursors.

    abstract:BACKGROUND AND AIMS:When green coffee is stored for a prolonged time the coffee quality decreases distinctively. Apart from well-known 'off-notes' that arise from undesired oxidations of lipids, a typical 'flattening' of the cup quality is detectable. In order to elucidate the biological causes for this phenomenon, dif...

    journal_title:Annals of botany

    pub_type: 杂志文章

    doi:10.1093/aob/mcm277

    authors: Selmar D,Bytof G,Knopp SE

    更新日期:2008-01-01 00:00:00

  • Landscape and taxon age are associated with differing patterns of hybridization in two Eucalyptus (Myrtaceae) subgenera.

    abstract:BACKGROUND AND AIMS:Hybridization is an important evolutionary process that can have a significant impact on natural plant populations. Eucalyptus species are well known for weak reproductive barriers and extensive hybridization within subgenera, but there is little knowledge of whether patterns of hybridization differ...

    journal_title:Annals of botany

    pub_type: 杂志文章

    doi:10.1093/aob/mcaa164

    authors: Robins TP,Binks RM,Byrne M,Hopper SD

    更新日期:2021-01-01 00:00:00

  • Flower-level developmental plasticity to nutrient availability in Datura stramonium: implications for the mating system.

    abstract:Background and Aims:Studies of phenotypic plasticity in plants have mainly focused on (1) the effect of environmental variation on whole-plant traits related to the number of modules rather than on (2) the phenotypic consequences of environmental variation in traits of individual modules. Since environmental and develo...

    journal_title:Annals of botany

    pub_type: 杂志文章

    doi:10.1093/aob/mcx093

    authors: Camargo ID,Nattero J,Careaga SA,Núñez-Farfán J

    更新日期:2017-10-17 00:00:00

  • Genetic structure of Galitzkya macrocarpa and G. potaninii, two closely related endemics of central Asian mountain ranges.

    abstract:UNLABELLED:BACKGROUND AND AIMS Habitats in mountains are often isolated. Plants growing in these sites face severe dispersal limitations, but also difficulties for recruitment. The focus was laid on the magnitude of genetic differences among populations but also on the size of potentially occurring clones. METHODS:RAP...

    journal_title:Annals of botany

    pub_type: 杂志文章

    doi:10.1093/aob/mcl182

    authors: Wesche K,Hensen I,Undrakh R

    更新日期:2006-11-01 00:00:00

  • The cucurbit images (1515-1518) of the Villa Farnesina, Rome.

    abstract:BACKGROUND:The gorgeous frescoes organized by the master Renaissance painter Raphael Sanzio (1483-1520) and illustrating the heavenly adventures of Cupid and Psyche were painted between 1515 and 1518 to decorate the Roman villa (now known as the Villa Farnesina) of the wealthy Sienese banker Agostino Chigi (1466-1520)....

    journal_title:Annals of botany

    pub_type: 历史文章,杂志文章

    doi:10.1093/aob/mcj025

    authors: Janick J,Paris HS

    更新日期:2006-02-01 00:00:00

  • The morphophysiological dormancy in Amborella trichopoda seeds is a pleisiomorphic trait in angiosperms.

    abstract:Background and Aims:Recent parsimony-based reconstructions suggest that seeds of early angiosperms had either morphophysiological or physiological dormancy, with the former considered as more probable. The aim of this study was to determine the class of seed dormancy present in Amborella trichopoda , the sole living re...

    journal_title:Annals of botany

    pub_type: 杂志文章

    doi:10.1093/aob/mcw244

    authors: Fogliani B,Gâteblé G,Villegente M,Fabre I,Klein N,Anger N,Baskin CC,Scutt CP

    更新日期:2017-03-01 00:00:00

  • Longevity of white clover (Trifolium repens) leaves, stolons and roots, and consequences for nitrogen dynamics under northern temperate climatic conditions.

    abstract:BACKGROUND AND AIMS:White clover (Trifolium repens) is, due to nitrogen (N) fixation, important to the N dynamics of several northern temperate agroecosystems. This study aimed at monitoring growth and death of major white clover plant organs to assess their potential contribution to within-season N input and risk of o...

    journal_title:Annals of botany

    pub_type: 杂志文章

    doi:10.1093/aob/mcm078

    authors: Sturite I,Henriksen TM,Breland TA

    更新日期:2007-07-01 00:00:00

  • Functional heterostyly in Tylosema esculentum (Caesalpinioideae).

    abstract::Tylosema esculentum is a long-lived perennial species endemic to arid areas of southern Africa. Its potential as a crop species has long been recognized as a result of the high oil and protein content of its seeds. The reproductive biology and breeding systems of the species were investigated in wild and experimental ...

    journal_title:Annals of botany

    pub_type: 杂志文章

    doi:10.1093/aob/mcf006

    authors: Hartley ML,Tshamekeng E,Thomas SM

    更新日期:2002-01-01 00:00:00

  • Plant nitrogen dynamics and nitrogen-use strategies under altered nitrogen seasonality and competition.

    abstract:BACKGROUND AND AIMS:Numerous studies have examined the effects of climatic factors on the distribution of C(3) and C(4) grasses in various regions throughout the world, but the role of seasonal fluctuations in temperature, precipitation and soil N availability in regulating growth and competition of these two functiona...

    journal_title:Annals of botany

    pub_type: 杂志文章

    doi:10.1093/aob/mcm178

    authors: Yuan Z,Liu W,Niu S,Wan S

    更新日期:2007-10-01 00:00:00

  • Response and adaptation by plants to flooding stress.

    abstract::Stress on plants imposed by flooding of the soil and deeper submergence constitutes one of the major abiotic constraints on growth, species' distribution and agricultural productivity. Flooding stress is also a strong driver of adaptive evolution. This has resulted in a wide range of biochemical, molecular and morphol...

    journal_title:Annals of botany

    pub_type: 杂志文章

    doi:10.1093/aob/mci205

    authors: Jackson MB,Colmer TD

    更新日期:2005-09-01 00:00:00

  • Root signals and stomatal closure in relation to photosynthesis, chlorophyll a fluorescence and adventitious rooting of flooded tomato plants.

    abstract:BACKGROUND AND AIMS:An investigation was carried out to determine whether stomatal closure in flooded tomato plants (Solanum lycopersicum) results from decreased leaf water potentials (psi(L)), decreased photosynthetic capacity and attendant increases in internal CO(2) (C(i)) or from losses of root function such as cyt...

    journal_title:Annals of botany

    pub_type: 杂志文章

    doi:10.1093/aob/mcn208

    authors: Else MA,Janowiak F,Atkinson CJ,Jackson MB

    更新日期:2009-01-01 00:00:00

  • Novel thigmomorphogenetic responses in Carica papaya: touch decreases anthocyanin levels and stimulates petiole cork outgrowths.

    abstract:BACKGROUND AND AIMS:Because of its rapid growth rate, relative ease of transformation, sequenced genome and low gene number relative to Arabidopsis, the tropical fruit tree, Carica papaya, can serve as a complementary genetic model for complex traits. Here, new phenotypes and touch-regulated gene homologues have been i...

    journal_title:Annals of botany

    pub_type: 杂志文章

    doi:10.1093/aob/mcp009

    authors: Porter BW,Zhu YJ,Webb DT,Christopher DA

    更新日期:2009-04-01 00:00:00

  • Organelle sedimentation in gravitropic roots of Limnobium is restricted to the elongation zone.

    abstract::Roots of the aquatic angiosperm Limnobium spongia (Bosc) Steud. were evaluated by light and electron microscopy to determine the distribution of organelle sedimentation towards gravity. Roots of Limnobium are strongly gravitropic. The rootcap consists of only two layers of cells. Although small amyloplasts are present...

    journal_title:Annals of botany

    pub_type: 杂志文章

    doi:10.1093/aob/74.1.35

    authors: Sack FD,Kim D,Stein B

    更新日期:1994-07-01 00:00:00

  • On the mechanisms of nectar secretion: revisited.

    abstract:BACKGROUND AND SCOPE:Models of nectar formation and exudation in multilayered nectaries with modified stomata or permeable cuticle are evaluated. In the current symplasmic model the pre-nectar moves from terminal phloem through the symplasm into the apoplasm (cell walls and intercellular spaces) with nectar formation b...

    journal_title:Annals of botany

    pub_type: 杂志文章

    doi:10.1093/aob/mcp302

    authors: Vassilyev AE

    更新日期:2010-03-01 00:00:00

  • Effects of molybdenum on expression of cold-responsive genes in abscisic acid (ABA)-dependent and ABA-independent pathways in winter wheat under low-temperature stress.

    abstract:BACKGROUND AND AIMS:Molybdenum (Mo) is an essential trace element for higher plants. It has been shown that application of Mo enhances the cold resistance of winter wheat. In order to improve our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of cold resistance arising from application of Mo in winter wheat, investigations ...

    journal_title:Annals of botany

    pub_type: 杂志文章

    doi:10.1093/aob/mcp133

    authors: Sun X,Hu C,Tan Q,Liu J,Liu H

    更新日期:2009-08-01 00:00:00

  • Divergent evolution of the chloroplast small heat shock protein gene in the genera Rhododendron (Ericaceae) and Machilus (Lauraceae).

    abstract:BACKGROUND AND AIMS:Evolutionary and ecological roles of the chloroplast small heat shock protein (CPsHSP) have been emphasized based on variations in protein contents; however, DNA sequence variations related to the evolutionary and ecological roles of this gene have not been investigated. In the present study, a basa...

    journal_title:Annals of botany

    pub_type: 杂志文章

    doi:10.1093/aob/mcl288

    authors: Wu ML,Lin TP,Lin MY,Cheng YP,Hwang SY

    更新日期:2007-03-01 00:00:00

  • A new species of Haplophyllum A. Juss. (Rutaceae) from the Iberian Peninsula: evidence from morphological, karyological and molecular analyses.

    abstract:BACKGROUND AND AIMS:The discovery of a new species, Haplophyllum bastetanum F.B. Navarro, V.N. Suárez-Santiago & Blanca sp. nov., in the south-east of Spain has prompted the comparative study of species of the Iberian Peninsula, and others related, through morphological, cytogenetic, molecular, distributional and ecolo...

    journal_title:Annals of botany

    pub_type: 杂志文章

    doi:10.1093/aob/mch176

    authors: Navarro FB,Suárez-Santiago VN,Blanca G

    更新日期:2004-10-01 00:00:00

  • Isolation and functional characterization of CsLsi2, a cucumber silicon efflux transporter gene.

    abstract:Background and Aims:Silicon has been proven to exert beneficial effects on plant growth and stress tolerance, and silicon accumulation varies among different plant species. Cucumber (Cucumis sativus) is a widely used dicot model for silicon accumulation, but little is known about the molecular mechanism of its silicon ...

    journal_title:Annals of botany

    pub_type: 杂志文章

    doi:10.1093/aob/mcy103

    authors: Sun H,Duan Y,Qi X,Zhang L,Huo H,Gong H

    更新日期:2018-09-24 00:00:00

  • Cost of reproduction in a spring ephemeral species, Adonis ramosa (Ranunculaceae): carbon budget for seed production.

    abstract:BACKGROUND AND AIMS:Spring ephemerals have a specific life-history trait, i.e. shoot growth and sexual reproduction occur simultaneously during a short period from snowmelt to canopy closure in deciduous forests. The aim of this study is to clarify how spring ephemerals invest resources for seed production within a res...

    journal_title:Annals of botany

    pub_type: 杂志文章

    doi:10.1093/aob/mcm131

    authors: Horibata S,Hasegawa SF,Kudo G

    更新日期:2007-09-01 00:00:00

  • Microarray analysis of developing flax hypocotyls identifies novel transcripts correlated with specific stages of phloem fibre differentiation.

    abstract:BACKGROUND AND AIMS:Hypocotyls are a commonly used model to study primary growth in plants, since post-germinative hypocotyls increase in size by cell elongation rather than cell division. Flax hypocotyls produce phloem fibres in bundles one to two cell layers thick, parallel to the protoxylem poles of the stele. Cell ...

    journal_title:Annals of botany

    pub_type: 杂志文章

    doi:10.1093/aob/mcn110

    authors: Roach MJ,Deyholos MK

    更新日期:2008-09-01 00:00:00

  • Experimental growing of wild pea in Israel and its bearing on Near Eastern plant domestication.

    abstract:BACKGROUND AND AIMS:The wild progenitors of the Near Eastern legumes have low germination rates mediated by hardseededness. Hence it was argued that cultivation of these wild legumes would probably result in no yield gain. Based on the meagre natural yield of wild lentil and its poor germination, it was suggested that ...

    journal_title:Annals of botany

    pub_type: 杂志文章

    doi:10.1093/aob/mcr081

    authors: Abbo S,Rachamim E,Zehavi Y,Zezak I,Lev-Yadun S,Gopher A

    更新日期:2011-06-01 00:00:00

  • Against the odds: complete outcrossing in a monoecious clonal seagrass Posidonia australis (Posidoniaceae).

    abstract:BACKGROUND AND AIMS:Seagrasses are marine, flowering plants with a hydrophilous pollination strategy. In these plants, successful mating requires dispersal of filamentous pollen grains through the water column to receptive stigmas. Approximately 40 % of seagrass species are monoecious, and therefore little pollen movem...

    journal_title:Annals of botany

    pub_type: 杂志文章

    doi:10.1093/aob/mcu048

    authors: Sinclair EA,Gecan I,Krauss SL,Kendrick GA

    更新日期:2014-06-01 00:00:00

  • Day-night changes of energy-rich compounds in crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) species utilizing hexose and starch.

    abstract:BACKGROUND AND AIMS:Plants with crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) can be divided into two groups according to the major carbohydrates used for malic acid synthesis, either polysaccharide (starch) or monosaccharide (hexose). This is related to the mechanism and affects energy metabolism in the two groups. In Kalanchoë ...

    journal_title:Annals of botany

    pub_type: 杂志文章

    doi:10.1093/aob/mch165

    authors: Chen LS,Nose A

    更新日期:2004-09-01 00:00:00

  • No carbon limitation after lower crown loss in Pinus radiata.

    abstract:BACKGROUND AND AIMS:Biotic and abiotic stressors can cause different defoliation patterns within trees. Foliar pathogens of conifers commonly prefer older needles and infection with defoliation that progresses from the bottom crown to the top. The functional role of the lower crown of trees is a key question to address...

    journal_title:Annals of botany

    pub_type: 杂志文章

    doi:10.1093/aob/mcaa013

    authors: Gomez-Gallego M,Williams N,Leuzinger S,Scott PM,Bader MK

    更新日期:2020-05-13 00:00:00

  • The pectic disaccharides lepidimoic acid and β-d-xylopyranosyl-(1→3)-d-galacturonic acid occur in cress-seed exudate but lack allelochemical activity.

    abstract:BACKGROUND AND AIMS:Cress-seed (Lepidium sativum) exudate exerts an allelochemical effect, promoting excessive hypocotyl elongation and inhibiting root growth in neighbouring Amaranthus caudatus seedlings. We investigated acidic disaccharides present in cress-seed exudate, testing the proposal that the allelochemical i...

    journal_title:Annals of botany

    pub_type: 杂志文章

    doi:10.1093/aob/mcw008

    authors: Iqbal A,Miller JG,Murray L,Sadler IH,Fry SC

    更新日期:2016-04-01 00:00:00

  • Assessing radiation dose limits for X-ray fluorescence microscopy analysis of plant specimens.

    abstract:BACKGROUND AND AIMS:X-ray fluorescence microscopy (XFM) is a powerful technique to elucidate the distribution of elements within plants. However, accumulated radiation exposure during analysis can lead to structural damage and experimental artefacts including elemental redistribution. To date, acceptable dose limits ha...

    journal_title:Annals of botany

    pub_type: 杂志文章

    doi:10.1093/aob/mcz195

    authors: Jones MWM,Kopittke PM,Casey L,Reinhardt J,Blamey FPC,van der Ent A

    更新日期:2020-03-29 00:00:00

  • Long-term water stress leads to acclimation of drought sensitivity of photosynthetic capacity in xeric but not riparian Eucalyptus species.

    abstract:BACKGROUND AND AIMS:Experimental drought is well documented to induce a decline in photosynthetic capacity. However, if given time to acclimate to low water availability, the photosynthetic responses of plants to low soil moisture content may differ from those found in short-term experiments. This study aims to test wh...

    journal_title:Annals of botany

    pub_type: 杂志文章

    doi:10.1093/aob/mcv161

    authors: Zhou SX,Medlyn BE,Prentice IC

    更新日期:2016-01-01 00:00:00

  • Comparative anatomy of intervessel pits in two mangrove species growing along a natural salinity gradient in Gazi bay, Kenya.

    abstract:BACKGROUND AND AIMS:According to the air-seeding hypothesis, embolism vulnerability in xylem elements is linked directly to bordered pit structure and functioning. To elucidate the adaptive potential of intervessel pits towards fluctuating environmental conditions, two mangrove species with a distinct ecological distri...

    journal_title:Annals of botany

    pub_type: 杂志文章

    doi:10.1093/aob/mcm103

    authors: Schmitz N,Jansen S,Verheyden A,Kairo JG,Beeckman H,Koedam N

    更新日期:2007-08-01 00:00:00

  • Duration of xylogenesis in black spruce lengthened between 1950 and 2010.

    abstract:BACKGROUND AND AIMS:Reconstructions have identified the 20th century as being uniquely warm in the last 1000 years. Changes in the phenology of primary meristems converged toward increases in length of the growing season. Has the phenology of secondary meristem changed during the last century, and to what extent? METH...

    journal_title:Annals of botany

    pub_type: 杂志文章

    doi:10.1093/aob/mcs175

    authors: Boulouf Lugo J,Deslauriers A,Rossi S

    更新日期:2012-11-01 00:00:00

  • Phylogenetic relationships among arecoid palms (Arecaceae: Arecoideae).

    abstract:BACKGROUND AND AIMS:The Arecoideae is the largest and most diverse of the five subfamilies of palms (Arecaceae/Palmae), containing >50 % of the species in the family. Despite its importance, phylogenetic relationships among Arecoideae are poorly understood. Here the most densely sampled phylogenetic analysis of Arecoid...

    journal_title:Annals of botany

    pub_type: 杂志文章

    doi:10.1093/aob/mcr020

    authors: Baker WJ,Norup MV,Clarkson JJ,Couvreur TL,Dowe JL,Lewis CE,Pintaud JC,Savolainen V,Wilmot T,Chase MW

    更新日期:2011-12-01 00:00:00