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Premise of the StudyThe domestication history of melon is still unclear. An African or Asian origin has been suggested, but its closest wild relative was recently revealed to be an Australian species. The complicated taxonomic history of melon has resulted in additional confusion, with a high number of misidentified germplasm collections currently used by breeders and in genomics research.MethodsUsing seven DNA regions sequenced for 90% of the genus and the major cultivar groups, we sort out described names and infer evolutionary origins and domestication centers.Key ResultsWe found that modern melon cultivars go back to two lineages, which diverged ca. 2 million years ago. One is restricted to Asia (Cucumis melo subsp. melo), and the second, here described as C. melo subsp. meloides, is restricted to Africa. The Asian lineage has given rise to the widely commercialized cultivar groups and their market types, while the African lineage gave rise to cultivars still grown in the Sudanian region. We show that C. trigonus, an overlooked perennial and drought‐tolerant species from India is among the closest living relatives of C. melo.ConclusionsMelon was domesticated at least twice: in Africa and Asia. The African lineage and the Indian C. trigonus are exciting new resources for breeding of melons tolerant to climate change.

Domestication and Utilization. Traditional vegetables in many African rural areas are an important part of the daily diet and economy but have been poorly documented until recently. We undertook a survey in Benin on the diversity and patterns of use of traditional vegetables by 18 sociolinguistic groups in the three major phytogeographical regions. Major groups include the Yoruba-Nagot, Fon, Bariba, Adja, Cotafon, and Ditammari. Focus groups and field visits were conducted in 49 villages. Species richness at the country level and in phytogeographical regions was estimated using species accumulation curves. Our results indicated that 245 species belonging to 62 families are used as vegetable resources all over the country. The most frequently used families include Amaranthaceae, Asteraceae, Cucurbitaceae, and Leguminoseae. About 80% of collected vegetables are wild resources; only 19% were clearly under cultivation. Herbs were the most widely consumed life form. The Guinean and the Sudanian regions exhibit similar species richness while in the Sudano-Guinean region vegetable richness is higher. The use of a species as a vegetable depends not only on socio-cultural attributes but also on geographical occurrence. Based on this inventory, we identified needs for further research and activities for both the conservation and promotion of traditional vegetables.Diversité, Distribution Géographiques, et Mode de Consommation des Légumes Traditionnels dans les Groupes Sociolinguistiques du Bénin: Implications pour la Domestication et l'Utilisation des Ressources. Les légumes traditionnels représentent une part importante dans le régime alimentaire quotidien et l'économie des communautés rurales en Afrique. Cependant, ils ont été négligés par la recherche jusqu'à récemment. Au Bénin, nous avons entrepris un inventaire de la diversité et des types d'usage des légumes traditionnels au niveau de 18 groupes sociolinguistiques, dans les trois grandes zones phytogéographiques du pays. Les groupes linguistiques enquêtés comprennent les Yoruba-Nagot, Fon, Bariba, Adja, Cotafon, et Ditammari. Des entretiens de groupes et visites de terrain ont été organisés dans 49 villages. La richesse spécifique au niveau national et au niveau des zones phytogéographiques a été estimée par la méthode de courbes d'accumulation spécifique. Nos résultats indiquent que 245 espèces appartenant à 62 familles de plantes sont exploitées comme légumes au niveau national. Les familles fréquemment utilisées sont les Amaranthaceae, Asteraceae, Cucurbitaceae, et les Leguminoseae. Environ 80% des légumes collectés sont des ressources sauvages et seulement 19% sont clairement cultivés. Les herbacées représentent la majeur partie des légumes. Les zones Guinéenne et Soudanienne présentent des richesses spécifiques similaires, tandis que la richesse spécifique de légumes est supérieure dans la zone Soudano-Guinéenne. L'utilisation d'une espèce comme légume dépend 1