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{{Short description|Type of fruit}}
{{About|melon in a broad sense|melon in a narrow sense|Cucumis melo|other uses|Melon (disambiguation)}}
[[Image:Cantaloupe and canary melon.jpg|thumb|upright=1.35|[[Canary melon]] and [[cantaloupe]]]]▼
{{pp-pc1}}▼
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 [[botanical berry|berry]], specifically a "[[pepo (botany)|pepo]]". The word ''melon'' derives from [[Latin]] ''{{lang|la|melopepo}}'',<ref>{{OEtymD|melon}}</ref><ref>{{L&S|melopepo|ref}}</ref> which is the [[Latinisation (literature)|latinization]] of the [[Ancient Greek|Greek]] {{lang|grc|μηλοπέπων}} (''mēlopepōn''), meaning "melon",<ref name="lsj">{{LSJ|mhlope/pwn|μηλοπέπων|ref}}.</ref> itself a compound of {{lang|grc|μῆλον}} (''mēlon''), "apple", treefruit (''of any kind'')"<ref>{{LSJ|mh{{=}}lon2|μῆλον|shortref}}.</ref> and {{lang|grc|πέπων}} (''pepōn''), amongst others "a kind of gourd or melon".<ref>{{LSJ|pe/pwn|πέπων|shortref}}.</ref> Many different [[cultivars]] have been produced, particularly of [[cantaloupe]]s.▼
▲[[Image:Cantaloupe and canary melon.jpg|thumb|[[Canary melon]] and [[cantaloupe]]]]
▲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 [[botanical berry|berry]], specifically a "[[pepo (botany)|pepo]]". The word ''melon'' derives from [[Latin]] ''{{lang|la|melopepo}}'',<ref>{{OEtymD|melon}}</ref><ref>{{L&S|melopepo|ref}}</ref> which is the [[Latinisation (literature)|latinization]] of the [[Ancient Greek|Greek]] {{lang|grc|μηλοπέπων}} (''mēlopepōn''), meaning "melon",<ref name="lsj">{{LSJ|mhlope/pwn|μηλοπέπων|ref}}.</ref> itself a compound of {{lang|grc|μῆλον}} (''mēlon''), "apple, treefruit (''of any kind'')"<ref>{{LSJ|mh{{=}}lon2|μῆλον|shortref}}.</ref> and {{lang|grc|πέπων}} (''pepōn''), amongst others "a kind of gourd or melon".<ref>{{LSJ|pe/pwn|πέπων|shortref}}.</ref> Many different [[cultivars]] have been produced, particularly of [[cantaloupe]]s.
==History==
[[File:Watermelon and melon in India.jpg|thumb|right|Watermelon and melon in India]]
Melons were thought to have originated in Africa,<ref>{{Cite book|title=The new Oxford book of food plants|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2009|isbn=978-0-19-954946-7|pages=134}}</ref>
| journal=Plant Breeding Review
| volume=35
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|archive-date = 2012-04-03
}}</ref> 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]] have made an effort to collect and preserve these and other heritage seeds.<ref>{{cite news
| url=http://www.abqjournal.com/food/2491846256food09-24-08.htm |url-status=dead
| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131102021047/http://www.abqjournal.com/food/2491846256food09-24-08.htm
| newspaper=[[Albuquerque Journal]]
| date=September 24, 2008 | archive-date=November 2, 2013
| title=San Felipe Pueblo melon farmer favors the old ways
|
| access-date=
}}</ref>
==Melons by genus==
[[File:Cucumis metuliferus fruit - whole and cross section.jpg|thumb|Horned melon]]
[[File:Cantaloupe Melon cross section.png|thumb|upright|Honeydew]]
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* [[Winter melon]]<ref group="note">Not to be confused with ''Cucumis melo inodorus'' varieties, also collectively called ''winter melon''.</ref> (''B. hispida'') is the only member of the genus ''Benincasa''. The mature winter melon is a cooking vegetable that is widely used in [[Asia]], especially in [[India]]. The immature melons are used as a culinary fruit (e.g., to make a distinctive fruit drink).
===''
{{main|Citrullus}}
* [[Egusi]] (''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]].<ref>{{cite web
| title=Seeds, seeds, seeds: Egusi, the Miracle Melon
| publisher=Nourishing the Planet
|
| url=http://blogs.worldwatch.org/nourishingtheplanet/seeds-seeds-seeds-egusi-the-miracle-melon/ | url-status=dead
| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101006175830/http://blogs.worldwatch.org/nourishingtheplanet/seeds-seeds-seeds-egusi-the-miracle-melon/
}}</ref> Other species that have the same culinary role, and that are also called egusi include ''[[Cucumeropsis mannii]]'' and ''[[Lagenaria siceraria]]''.<ref>{{cite journal▼
| archive-date=October 6, 2010 | date=September 20, 2010
▲}}</ref> Other species that have the same culinary role, and that are also called egusi include ''[[
| title=Importance and practices of Egusi crops (Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai, Cucumeropsis mannii Naudin and Lagenaria siceraria (Molina) Standl. cv. ' Aklamkpa ') in sociolinguistic areas in Benin
| url=http://www.pressesagro.be/base/text/v12n4/393.pdf
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| author5=Ousmane Coulibaly
| author6=Adam Ahanchede
| journal=
| year=2008
| volume=12
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| pages=393–40
| access-date=2014-10-20
| archive-date=2015-05-07
}}</ref>▼
| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150507194743/http://www.pressesagro.be/base/text/v12n4/393.pdf
| url-status=live
▲ }}</ref>
* [[Watermelon]] (''C. lanatus'') originated in Africa, where evidence indicates that it has been cultivated for over 4,000 years.<ref>{{cite book |first1=Daniel |last1=Zohary |first2= Maria |last2=Hopf |first3= Ehud |last3=Weiss|title=Domestication of Plants in the Old World: The Origin and Spread of Domesticated Plants in Southwest Asia, Europe, and the Mediterranean Basin |isbn=9780199549061 |edition= Fourth |publisher=Oxford: University Press |year=2012 |page=193}}</ref> It is a popular summer fruit in all parts of the world.<ref>{{cite book
| chapter=Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai
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===''Cucumis''===
[[File:Painted green melons. Chennai, India, 2010.jpg|thumb|Painted green melons. [[Chennai]], India, 2010]]
[[File:Melonjf7319.JPG|thumb|Slice of cantaloupe melon]]
[[File:Cucumis melo inodorus argos.jpg|thumb|Argos melon]]
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.<ref name="prota">{{cite book
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| access-date=2014-10-20
}}</ref>
* [[
** ''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.<ref>{{cite book
| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Xwq1lunLkuoC&q=%22melo%20cantalupensis%22&pg=PA255
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}}</ref>
** ''C. melo inodorus'', casabas, honeydew, and Asian melons
*** [[Argos, Peloponnese#Economy|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
*** [[Banana melon]], an heirloom variety with salmon-colored flesh and an elongated banana shape and yellow rind
*** [[Canary melon]], a large, bright-yellow melon with a pale green to white inner flesh.
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| url=http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-casaba-melon.htm
| access-date=2014-10-20
| archive-date=2014-07-22
}}</ref>▼
| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140722192652/http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-casaba-melon.htm
| url-status=live
▲ }}</ref>
*** [[Crenshaw melon]], a hybrid between a [[Casaba melon]] and a [[Persian melon]] that is described to have a very sweet flavor
*** [[Gaya melon]], originally from [[Japan]], a honeydew cultivar that is ivory in color and has a mild, sweet flavor
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| url=http://www1.chinaculture.org/library/2008-01/08/content_22024.htm
| access-date=2014-10-20
| archive-date=2013-11-01
}}</ref>▼
| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131101162139/http://www1.chinaculture.org/library/2008-01/08/content_22024.htm
| url-status=dead
▲ }}</ref>
*** [[honeydew (melon)|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.
*** [[Honeymoon melon]], a variety of honeydew with golden rind and bright green flesh and a sweet flavor
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| title=Moscow flooded with melons
| access-date=2014-10-20
| archive-date=2015-05-10
}}</ref>▼
| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150510185404/http://www.themoscowtimes.com/sitemap/free/2007/9/article/likbez-melon-season/194219.html
| url-status=live
▲ }}</ref>
*** 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.
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*** [[Oriental pickling melon]]
*** [[Pixie melon]], a sweet, palm-sized cantaloupe cultivar with a strange, cracked-looking netting
*** {{lang|es|Piel de Sapo}} ({{gloss|toad skin}}) or [[Santa Claus melon]], a melon with a blotchy green skin and white sweet-tasting flesh.
*** [[Sugar melon]], a smooth, white, round fruit.<ref>{{cite book
| title=The Complete Book of Fruit: an illustrated guide to over 400 species and varieties of fruit from all over the world
| author=Jac G. Constant
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*** Tiger melon, an orange, yellow and black striped melon from [[Turkey]] with a soft pulp.<ref>{{cite book
| title=A Gourmet's Guide to Fruit
|
| publisher=HP Books
| year=1990
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| author=James Ehler
| access-date=2014-10-20
| archive-date=2014-08-05
}}{{self-published source|date=November 2011}}</ref>{{self-published inline|date=November 2011}}▼
| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140805155746/http://www.foodreference.com/html/artmelon.html
** ''C. melo agrestis'', Wilder melon cultivars, with smooth skin, and tart or bland taste. Often confused with [[cucumber]]s (Dosakai, Lemon Cucumber, Pie Melons).<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Swamy|first=K. R. M.|date=2018-08-29|title=Origin, distribution and systematics of culinary cucumber (Cucumis melo subsp. agrestis var. conomon)|url=http://www.sphindia.org/index.php/jhs/article/view/473|journal=Journal of Horticultural Science|language=en|volume=12|issue=1|pages=1–22|issn=0973-354X}}</ref>▼
| url-status=live
▲ }}{{self-published source|date=November 2011}}</ref>{{self-published inline|date=November 2011}}
▲** ''C. melo agrestis'', Wilder melon cultivars, with smooth skin, and tart or bland taste. Often confused with [[cucumber]]s (Dosakai, Lemon Cucumber, Pie Melons).<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Swamy|first=K. R. M.|date=2018-08-29|title=Origin, distribution and systematics of culinary cucumber (Cucumis melo subsp. agrestis var. conomon)
** ''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).<ref>{{Cite book|last=Lim|first=T. K.|chapter=Cucumis melo (Conomon Group)|date=2012|work=Edible Medicinal And Non-Medicinal Plants: Volume 2, Fruits|pages=204–209|editor-last=Lim|editor-first=T. K.|publisher=Springer Netherlands|language=en|doi=10.1007/978-94-007-1764-0_32|isbn=9789400717640|title=Edible Medicinal and Non-Medicinal Plants}}</ref>
** Modern crossbred varieties, e.g. Crenshaw (Casaba × Persian), Crane (Japanese × N.A. cantaloupe).
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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|
File:Honeydew melon yellow flower.jpg|Honeydew melon yellow flower
</gallery>
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==Production==
{| class="wikitable
|+ Melon production, 2020
|-
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! scope="col" | Production<br /><small>(millions of tonnes)</small>
|-
| {{flag|China}} || {{right|13.83}}
|-
| {{flag|Turkey}} || {{right|1.72}}
|-
| {{flag|India}} || {{right|1.33}}
|-
| {{flag|Iran}} || {{right|1.28}}
|-
| {{flag|Afghanistan}} || {{right|0.79}}
|-
| {{flag|United States}} || {{right|0.69}}
|-
| {{flag|Guatemala}} || {{right|0.65}}
|-
| {{flag|Brazil}} || {{right|0.61}}
|-
| '''World''' || {{right|'''27.4'''}}
|-
| colspan="2" |<small>Source: [[FAOSTAT]] of the [[United Nations]]</small><ref name="faostat18">{{cite web|url=http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/QC
|}
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==Notes==
{{Reflist|group=note}}
==References==
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}}
* {{cite journal
|
| year=1971
| title=Food and feed crops of the United States
| |||