Cantaloupe or muskmelon (Cucumis melo L.) and watermelon (Citrullis lanatus var. lanatus) are annual plants with a trailing vine growth. Cucumis melo has several botanical subgroups (Table 1). In the United States, reticulatus and inodorus are commercially grown, while the remaining groups are grown for niche or local markets.
The cantaloupe fruit that most Americans are familiar with is not actually a true cantaloupe. A true cantaloupe has no netting on the rind, is often warty, and many will not abscise or slip from the vine when mature (Figure 2). True cantaloupes are widely grown in Europe and include varieties