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A melon is any of various plants of the family
Cucurbitaceae The Cucurbitaceae, also called cucurbits or the gourd family, are a plant family consisting of about 965 species in around 95 genera, of which the most important to humans are: *''Cucurbita'' – squash, pumpkin, zucchini, some gourds *'' Lagen ...
with sweet, edible, and fleshy
fruit In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particu ...
. 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 Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
', which is the latinization of the
Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
(''mēlopepōn''), meaning "melon",. itself a compound of (''mēlon''), "apple, treefruit (''of any kind'')" and (''pepōn''), amongst others "a kind of gourd or melon". Many different cultivars have been produced, particularly of
cantaloupe The cantaloupe, rockmelon (Australia and New Zealand, although cantaloupe is used in some states of Australia), sweet melon, or spanspek (Southern Africa) is a melon that is a variety of the muskmelon species (''Cucumis melo'') from the fami ...
s.


History

Melons originated in Africa or in the hot valleys of
Southwest Asia Western Asia, West Asia, or Southwest Asia, is the westernmost subregion of the larger geographical region of Asia, as defined by some academics, UN bodies and other institutions. It is almost entirely a part of the Middle East, and includes Ana ...
, especially
Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
and
India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
, from where they gradually began to appear in
Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...
toward the end of the
Western Roman Empire The Western Roman Empire comprised the western provinces of the Roman Empire at any time during which they were administered by a separate independent Imperial court; in particular, this term is used in historiography to describe the period ...
. Melons are known to have been grown by the ancient Egyptians. However, recent discoveries of melon seeds dated between 1350 and 1120
BCE Common Era (CE) and Before the Common Era (BCE) are year notations for the Gregorian calendar (and its predecessor, the Julian calendar), the world's most widely used calendar era. Common Era and Before the Common Era are alternatives to the or ...
in Nuragic sacred wells have shown that melons were first brought to Europe by the
Nuragic civilization The Nuragic civilization, also known as the Nuragic culture, was a civilization or culture on Sardinia (Italy), the second largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, which lasted from the 18th century BC (Middle Bronze Age) (or from t ...
of Sardinia during the
Bronze Age The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second prin ...
. Melons were among the earliest plants to be domesticated in the Old World and among the first crop species brought by westerners to the
New World The term ''New World'' is often used to mean the majority of Earth's Western Hemisphere, specifically the Americas."America." ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' (). McArthur, Tom, ed., 1992. New York: Oxford University Press, p. ...
. Early European settlers in the New World are recorded as growing honeydew and casaba melons as early as the 1600s. A number of Native American tribes in New Mexico, including Acoma, Cochiti, Isleta, Navajo, Santo Domingo and San Felipe, maintain a tradition of growing their own characteristic melon cultivars, derived from melons originally introduced by the Spanish. Organizations like
Native Seeds/SEARCH Native Seeds/SEARCH, founded in 1983, is a nonprofit conservation organization located in Tucson, Arizona in the United States. In the words of its mission statement, it seeks "to conserve, distribute and document the adapted and diverse varietie ...
have made an effort to collect and preserve these and other heritage seeds.


Melons by genus


''Benincasa''

*
Winter melon ''Benincasa hispida'', the wax gourd, also called ash gourd, white gourd, winter gourd, winter melon, tallow gourd, ash pumpkin, Chinese preserving melon is a vine grown for its very large fruit, eaten as a vegetable when mature. It is the o ...
Not to be confused with ''Cucumis melo inodorus'' varieties, also collectively called ''winter melon''. (''B. hispida'') is the only member of the genus ''Benincasa''. The mature winter melon is a cooking vegetable that is widely used in
Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an are ...
, especially in
India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
. The immature melons are used as a culinary fruit (e.g., to make a distinctive fruit drink).


''

Citrullus ''Citrullus'' is a genus of seven species of desert vines, among which ''Citrullus lanatus'' (the watermelon) is an important crop. Taxonomy Molecular data, including sequences from the original collection of ''Momordica lanata'' made near Cape ...
''

*
Egusi Egusi (Yoruba: '' ẹ̀gúsí,'' Igbo: ègwusi), also known as, agusi, ohue, Ikpan, Ikon, or agushi) is the name for the protein-rich seeds of certain cucurbitaceous plants ( squash, melon, gourd), which, after being dried and ground, are us ...
(''C. lanatus'') is a wild melon, similar in appearance to the watermelon. The flesh is inedible, but the seeds are a valuable food source in
Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...
. Other species that have the same culinary role, and that are also called egusi include ''
Cucumeropsis mannii ''Cucumeropsis mannii'' is a species of melon native to tropical Africa west of the East African Rift, where it is grown for food and as a source of oil. Its common names include egusi in Yoruba ‘‘‘Egwusi’’’ in Igbo and agushi in ...
'' and ''
Lagenaria siceraria Calabash (; ''Lagenaria siceraria''), also known as bottle gourd, white-flowered gourd, long melon, birdhouse gourd, New Guinea bean, Tasmania bean, and opo squash, is a vine grown for its fruit. It can be either harvested young to be consumed ...
''. *
Watermelon Watermelon (''Citrullus lanatus'') is a flowering plant species of the Cucurbitaceae family and the name of its edible fruit. A scrambling and trailing vine-like plant, it is a highly cultivated fruit worldwide, with more than 1,000 varie ...
(''C. lanatus'') originated in Africa, where evidence indicates that it has been cultivated for over 4,000 years. It is a popular summer fruit in all parts of the world.


''Cucumis''

Melons in genus ''
Cucumis __NOTOC__ ''Cucumis'' is a genus of twining, tendril-bearing plants in the family Cucurbitaceae which includes the cucumber (''Cucumis sativus''), muskmelons (''Cucumis melo'', including cantaloupe and honeydew), the horned melon ('' 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 California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
,
Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...
, Australia and
New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
as well. *
Muskmelon ''Cucumis melo'', also known as melon, is a species of '' Cucumis'' that has been developed into many cultivated varieties. The fruit is a pepo. The flesh is either sweet or bland, with or without a musky aroma, and the rind can be smooth (such a ...
(''C. melo'') ** ''C. melo cantalupensis'', with skin that is rough and warty, not netted. *** The European
cantaloupe The cantaloupe, rockmelon (Australia and New Zealand, although cantaloupe is used in some states of Australia), sweet melon, or spanspek (Southern Africa) is a melon that is a variety of the muskmelon species (''Cucumis melo'') from the fami ...
, with lightly ribbed, pale green skin, was domesticated in the 18th century, in Cantalupo in Sabina,
Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
, by the
pope The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...
's gardener. It is also known as a 'rockmelon' in Australia and New Zealand. Varieties include the French ''Charentais'' and the
Burpee Seeds Burpee Seeds and Plants, officially W. Atlee Burpee & Co., is an American seed and plant company that was founded by Washington Atlee Burpee in Pennsylvania in 1876. History Early years (1876-1915) W. Atlee Burpee & Company was founded in ...
hybrid ''Netted Gem'', introduced in the 19th century. The
Yubari King The is a cantaloupe cultivar farmed in greenhouses in Yūbari, Hokkaido, a small city close to Sapporo. The Yubari King is a hybrid of two other cantaloupe cultivars: Earl's Favourite and Burpee's "Spicy" Cantaloupe. The hybrid's scientific ...
is a highly prized Japanese cantaloupe
cultivar A cultivar is a type of cultivated plant that people have selected for desired traits and when propagated retain those traits. Methods used to propagate cultivars include: division, root and stem cuttings, offsets, grafting, tissue culture ...
. *** The
Persian melon Persian melons (Persian: خربزه) are cultivars of ''Cucumis melo'', a type of melon 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 spec ...
resemble a large cantaloupe with a darker green rind and a finer netting. ** ''C. melo inodorus'', casabas, honeydew, and Asian melons ***
Argos Argos most often refers to: * Argos, Peloponnese, a city in Argolis, Greece ** Ancient Argos, the ancient city * Argos (retailer), a catalogue retailer operating in the United Kingdom and Ireland Argos or ARGOS may also refer to: Businesses ...
, 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. *** Banana melon, an heirloom variety with salmon-colored flesh and an elongated banana shape and yellow rind ***
Canary melon The Canary melon ('' Cucumis melo'' (''Inodorus'' group)) or winter melon is a large, bright-yellow elongated melon with a pale green to white inner flesh. This melon has a distinctively sweet flavor that is slightly tangier than a honeydew me ...
, 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. *** Crenshaw melon, a hybrid between a Casaba melon and a
Persian melon Persian melons (Persian: خربزه) are cultivars of ''Cucumis melo'', a type of melon 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 spec ...
that is described to have a very sweet flavor ***
Gaya melon Gaya melon, also known as snowball melon, ghost melon, dinosaur melon, dinosaur egg melon, dino melon, and dino egg melon, is a small to medium-sized honeydew melon developed originally in Japan and Korea and now grown in China, Mexico, southe ...
, originally from Japan, a honeydew cultivar that is ivory in color and has a mild, sweet flavor *** Hami melon, originally from
Hami Hami (Kumul) is a prefecture-level city in Eastern Xinjiang, China. It is well known as the home of sweet Hami melons. In early 2016, the former Hami county-level city was merged with Hami Prefecture to form the Hami prefecture-level city with t ...
,
Xinjiang Xinjiang, SASM/GNC: ''Xinjang''; zh, c=, p=Xīnjiāng; formerly romanized as Sinkiang (, ), officially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (XUAR), is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China (PRC), located in the northwest ...
, China. Flesh is sweet and crisp. *** Honeydew, with a sweet, juicy, green-colored flesh. Grown as
bailan melon The Bailan melon is a locally famous melon grown near Lanzhou, the capital city of Gansu province in the People's Republic of China. It is a variety of honeydew melon, globose to subglobose and typically has white skin with sweet, white or pale g ...
in Lanzhou, China. There is a second variety which has yellow skin, white flesh and tastes like a moist pear. ***
Honeymoon melon 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 ...
, a variety of honeydew with golden rind and bright green flesh and a sweet flavor *** Kajari melon, a sweet honeydew cultivar that is red-orange in color with green stripes reminiscent of a
beach ball ''Beach Ball'' is a 1965 American beach party movie starring Edd Byrnes and partly financed by Roger Corman.Ed. J. Philip di Franco, ''The Movie World of Roger Corman'', Chelsea House Publishers, 1979, p. 145 It features appearances by The Supre ...
*** Kolkhoznitsa melon, with smooth, yellow skin and dense, white flesh. *** Japanese melons (including the
Sprite melon The sprite melon is a kind of melon, similar to honeydew, which originates from Japan. Since the late 1990s, it has been cultivated in North Carolina as a specialty crop and has increased in popularity in recent years. A sprite melon has a roun ...
). *** 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. ***
Mirza melon Mirza melon, also known as torpedo melon, Mirzachul melon, and gulabi melon, is a cultivar of sweet melon in the genus Cucumis native to Uzbekistan and Central Asia and introduced to California. Description They are large, weighing up to 25 poun ...
, a large, cream-colored melon native to
Central Asia Central Asia, also known as Middle Asia, is a subregion, region of Asia that stretches from the Caspian Sea in the west to western China and Mongolia in the east, and from Afghanistan and Iran in the south to Russia in the north. It includes t ...
with a sweet, savory flavor *** Oriental pickling melon ***
Pixie melon The cantaloupe, rockmelon (Australia and New Zealand, although cantaloupe is used in some states of Australia), sweet melon, or spanspek (Southern Africa) is a melon that is a variety of the muskmelon species (''Cucumis melo'') from the fami ...
, a sweet, palm-sized cantaloupe cultivar with a strange, cracked-looking netting *** (toad skin) or
Santa Claus melon The Santa Claus melon, sometimes known as Christmas melon or Piel de Sapo (Toad Skin), is a variety of melon (family Cucurbitaceae, '' Cucumis melo'', Inodorus group) originating in Spain that grows to about a foot in length and is ovoid in shap ...
, 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 Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula in ...
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).


Gallery

File:Melon Sugar Baby Matisse-9953.jpg, Melon Sugar Baby Matisse File:Cucumis melo on white background.jpg, ''Cucumis melo'' File:Cantaloupe and canary melon.jpg, Cantaloupe and canary melon File:Honeydew melon yellow flower.jpg, Honeydew melon yellow flower


Production

In 2018, world production of melons was 27 million
tonne The tonne ( or ; symbol: t) is a unit of mass equal to 1000  kilograms. It is a non-SI unit accepted for use with SI. It is also referred to as a metric ton to distinguish it from the non-metric units of the short ton ( United State ...
s, led by China with 46% of the total (table).
Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula in ...
,
Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
, and
India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
each produced more than 1 million tonnes.


See also

*
Cucurbita ''Cucurbita'' (Latin for gourd) is a genus of herbaceous fruits in the gourd family, Cucurbitaceae (also known as ''cucurbits'' or ''cucurbi''), native to the Andes and Mesoamerica. Five edible species are grown and consumed for their flesh and ...
– Squash (plant) * List of culinary fruits *
List of gourds and squashes This list of gourds and squashes provides an alphabetical list of (mostly edible) varieties (cultivars) of the plant genus ''Cucurbita'', commonly called gourds, squashes, pumpkins and zucchinis/courgettes. Common names can differ by location. ...
*
List of melon dishes This is a list of melon dishes and foods that use melon as a primary ingredient. A melon is any of various plants of the family Cucurbitaceae with edible, fleshy fruit. The word "melon" can refer to either the plant or specifically to the fruit. ...
* ''''


Notes


References


General references

* * Interregional Research Project IR-4


External links

* * * {{Authority control Cucurbitaceae Fruits originating in Africa