Watermelon , family Cucurbitaceae refers to both fruit and plant of a vine-like herb originally from southern Africa and one of the most common types of melon. This flowering plant produces a special type of fruit known by botanists as a pepo. The watermelon fruit, loosely considered a type of melon, has a smooth exterior rind and a juicy, sweet, usually red or yellow, but sometimes orange, interior flesh. The flesh consists of highly developed placental tissue within the fruit.