Muskmelon - Cucumis melo

All muskmelons of Persian lineage: (left to right): the long Banana variety, Santa Claus,
large Montreal, cantaloupe and Honey Dew. (illustration by Else Bostelmann)

Muskmelon refers to the many cultivars of Cucumis melo, and is one of the broader group of fruits grown and traded as melons. It is an accessory fruit of a type that botanists call a false berry. It was first cultivated more than 4000 years ago (circa 2000 BC) in Persia (Iran) and Central Asia. The varied cultivars produced have been divided into multiple cultivar groups.

Melon poster (The Gutsy Gourment)

One difference between muskmelons and watermelons is their seed distribution. The seeds of of muskmelons are centrally gathered in a cavity, whereas the watermelon's seeds are spread throughout.

Melon diagram from Yes, We Have Bananas: Fruits from Shrubs & Vines
by Meredith Sayles Hughes

The culture of honeydew and cantaloupe requires a good deal of readily available water for irrigation, and long, hot summers. These melons are susceptible to fungal infections by fusarium and verticillium wilts, as well as a bacterial wilt transmitted by the cucumber beetle.

Various kinds of melon seeds are edible, and are sold as snacks in shops, by names as kwaci and kwatji. For this purpose, they are dried and often salted. They are a very common snack food in China.

Muskmelon Gallery

Melon vendor, dressed in traditional Central Asian attire, at his stand in the marketplace of Samarkand in present-day Uzbekistan. Early color photograph from Russia, created by Sergei Mikhailovich Prokudin-Gorskii as part of his work to document the Russian Empire from 1909 to 1915. (Photo source)

Melon vendors in Inhambane Central Market, Mozambique.
(photo by Jehad Nga, NY Times.)

Japanese muskmelons for sale, individually wrapped and boxed, can reach $100 each.

Collection of muskmelon labels or stickers.

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