Musk melon, Cantaloupe, Rock melon
Cucumis melo var. cantalupensis

Family: Cucurbitaceae

What it is like

A pumpkin family plant. It is an annual herb. It has a creeping habit and stems lie along the ground. The leaves are thin and have long soft hairs. The leaves have lobes and the leaves are 10-18 cm long. The flowers occur singly and with both sexes separate but on the same plant. The fruit are round or oval. The fruit have pale coloured raised ridges forming a network.

There are about 25 Cucumis species.

Where it is found

A warm temperate to tropical plant. It suits hardiness zones 8-11

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Asia, Australia, Brazil, Central Asia, China, Europe, Fiji, France, Italy, Kiribati, Mediterranean, Nauru, Pacific, Tajikistan, Tasmania, Tonga, Tuvalu

How it is used for food

Fruit are eaten fresh.

It is a commercially cultivated vegetable. Fruit are popular.

Edible parts

Fruit, seeds, vegetable

How it is grown

Plants are grown from seed.

Its other names

Local names

Kakuri, Kharbuj, Te meren

Synonyms

Cucumis melo var. reticulatus Naudin, nom. illeg.; Cucumis melo var. cantalupensis Naudin; Probably now Cucumis melo Cantalupensis group;