Muskmelon (
Cucumis melo) is a species of melon that has been developed into many cultivated varieties. These include smooth skinned varietes, such as honeydew, and different netted cultivars known as cantaloupes (some of which, confusingly, may be particularly identified as "muskmelon"). The variety of cultivars from one species is similar to the
wild cabbage, though less differentiated in the case of the muskmelon. 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[1] and
Africa. The varied cultivars produced have been divided into multiple
cultivar groups.
The culture of honeydew and muskmelon ideally requires a good deal of readily available water for irrigation, and hot, humid summers. These melons are susceptible to fungal infections by fusarium and verticillium wilts, as well as a bacterial wilt transmitted by the cucumber beetle. The vines may be attacked by moths in the family Sesiidae, such as the "squash vine borer" (Melittia cucurbitae).
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. The names come from Chinese ?? guazi; they are a very common snack food in China.
Cantaloupe melons are a good source of potassium, Vitamin A and folate [4]. The potassium is helpful in preventing kidney stones [5] and cantaloupes in general are a useful laxative. North American cantaloupes are the most beta-carotene-rich of all melons[citation needed] and are also high in Vitamin C.[4]
