The larger melons commonly seen on roadsides in rural Australia are in fact Citrullus lanatus, a wild relative of the watermelon.

[3][11][12] The confusion is widespread in Australia, such that in common parlance, the term "paddy melon" is understood to mean the larger green/yellow fruit of the Citrullus lanatus.

[3] They vary only slightly in colour and appearance, with Citrullus lanatus leaves being a little more variegated than those of Cucumis myriocarpus.

[4][13] Mechanical removal of small infestations is the simplest control method, and cultivation at early stages of growth can be effective.

Large infestations are sometimes controlled by the spray-graze method, in which plants are sprayed with a sublethal dose of hormone herbicide to make them more palatable to stock, and the area is heavily grazed three days later.