page_title: Melon
section_title: Cucumis
hierarchical_section_title: Melon / Melons by genus / Cucumis
caption_attribution_description: Français&#160;: Le melon
context_page_description: A melon is any of various plants of the family Cucurbitaceae with sweet, edible, and fleshy fruit. The word "melon" can refer to either the plant or specifically to the fruit. Botanically, a melon is a kind of berry, specifically a "pepo". The word melon derives from Latin melopepo, which is the latinization of the Greek μηλοπέπων, meaning "melon", itself a compound of μῆλον, "apple, treefruit" and πέπων, amongst others "a kind of gourd or melon". Many different cultivars have been produced, particularly of cantaloupes.
context_section_description: Melons in genus Cucumis are culinary fruits, and include the majority of culinary melons. All but a handful of culinary melon varieties belong to the species Cucumis melo L.
  Horned melon (C. metuliferus), a traditional food plant in Africa with distinctive spikes. Now grown in California, Chile, Australia and New Zealand as well.
  Muskmelon (C. melo)
  C. melo cantalupensis, with skin that is rough and warty, not netted.
  The European cantaloupe, with lightly ribbed, pale green skin, was domesticated in the 18th century, in Cantalupo in Sabina, Italy, by the pope's gardener. It is also known as a 'rockmelon' in Australia and New Zealand. Varieties include the French Charentais and the Burpee Seeds hybrid Netted Gem, introduced in the 19th century. The Yubari King is a highly prized Japanese cantaloupe cultivar.
  The Persian melon resemble a large cantaloupe with a darker green rind and a finer netting.
  C. melo inodorus, casabas, honeydew, and Asian melons
  Argos, a large, oblong, with orange wrinkled skin, orange flesh, strong aroma. A characteristic is its pointed ends. Growing in some areas of Greece, from which it was named.
  Canary melon, a large, bright-yellow melon with a pale green to white inner flesh.
  Casaba, bright yellow, with a smooth, furrowed skin. Less flavorful than other melons, but keeps longer.
  Hami melon, originally from Hami, Xinjiang, China. Flesh is sweet and crisp.
  Honeydew, with a sweet, juicy, green-colored flesh. Grown as bailan melon in Lanzhou, China. There is a second variety which has yellow skin, white flesh and tastes like a moist pear.
  Kolkhoznitsa melon, with smooth, yellow skin and dense, white flesh.
  Japanese melons (including the Sprite melon).
  Korean melon, a yellow melon with white lines running across the fruit and white inside. Can be crisp and slightly sweet or juicy when left to ripen longer.
  Oriental pickling melon
  Piel de Sapo (toad skin) or Santa Claus melon, with a blotchy green skin and white sweet-tasting flesh.
  Sugar melon a smooth, white, round fruit.
  Tiger melon, an orange, yellow and black striped melon from Turkey with a soft pulp.
  C. melo reticulatus, true muskmelons, with netted (reticulated) skin.
  North American cantaloupe, distinct from the European cantaloupe, with the net-like skin pattern common to other C. melo reticulatus varieties.
  Galia (or Ogen), small and very juicy with either faint green or rosy pink flesh.
  Sharlyn melons, with taste between honeydew and cantaloupes, netted skin, greenish-orange rind, and white flesh.
  C. melo agrestis, Wilder melon cultivars, with smooth skin, and tart or bland taste. Often confused with cucumbers (Dosakai, Lemon Cucumber, Pie Melons).
  C. melo conomon, Conomon Melons, Pickling Melons, with smooth skin, and ranging from tart or bland taste (pickling melon)  to mild sweetness in Korean Melon.Oriental Pickling melon, Korean Melon. Closely related to wilder melons (C Melo Var Agrestis).
  Modern crossbred varieties, e.g. Crenshaw (Casaba × Persian), Crane (Japanese × N.A. cantaloupe).
caption: Melon fruit
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