Melons

Information About Melons and a Melon Fruit List

 

A melon is a sweet flavored fruit belonging to the plant family Cucurbitaceae in the genus Cucumis.  In botany, the term “melon”  is given to the various melon members of Cucurbitaceae including gourds and some culinary vegetables such as bitter melon.   Melons grow on vines and are believed to have originated in Southwest Asia.  Although watermelon is considered by culinary classification to be a melon, the botanical classification includes it as a member of the Cucurbitaceae family with uncertainty.  Unlike other melons, watermelon is not a member of the genus Cucumis.  

Melons have been a part of the human diet for over 4000 years.  There are now many cultivars of melons,  especially muskmelons.  A muskmelon is a species of melon that has been developed into several other cultivated varieties.   Two commonly available muskmelons are honeydew melon and cantaloupe.  To date (aside from watermelon), melons have never been found growing wild anywhere.  Watermelon is believed to have originated in South Africa where it still grows wild there.  There are now over 1200 cultivars of watermelon.

Melons provide a unique array of nutrients according to each type of melon.  One major nutrient that most melons have in common is water.  The name “watermelon” is attributed to the fruit’s high water content of approximately 92%.

 


Melon Fruit List (Culinary, A – Z)

 

Afghan Melon
Ananas Melon
Armenian Cucumber
Bitter Melon
Canary Melon
Cantaline
Cantaloupe
Casaba
Cavaillon Melon
Cavion Melon
Charentais Melon
Citron Melon
Collective Farm Women Melon
Crenshaw
Galia Melon
Gaya Melon
Green Melon
Hami Melon
Honeydew
Horned Melon
Japanese Melon
Juan Canary
Korean Melon
Mediterranean Melon
Muskmelon
Ogen Melon
Orange Flesh Melon
Papaya Melon
Pepino Melon
Persian Melon
Piel de Sapo
Red Moon Melon
Rochet
Santa Claus
Sharlynne Melon
Sprite Melon
Vietnamese Melon
Watermelon

 

 

 

 

References (Works Cited)

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Fruit Alphabetical List is for information purposes only. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The information on this website is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.