Cucumis melo
English: Melon; Muskmelon.
Dutch: Meloen.
Source: Harry van der Zee, Links 1999.
Botany
Cucumis melo has been developed into many cultivated varieties. These include smooth-skinned varieties such as honeydew, Crenshaw, and casaba, and different netted cultivars like cantaloupe, Persian melon, and Santa Claus or Christmas melon. It is a fruit of a type called pepo.
The origin of muskmelons is not known. Research has revealed that seeds and rootstocks were among the goods traded along the caravan routes of the Ancient World. Possibilites are that it is native to the Levant and Egypt, India or Central Asia, or an African origin.