Melon

Melon, fruit of Cucumis melo, a plant of the gourd family that grows wild in Africa and Asia. It is now widely cultivated in the United States, where the climate is hot and dry. The 2 main kinds of melon are the watermelon and the muskmelon, which includes honeydews, casabas, and Persian melons. The cantaloupe spoils rapidly, whereas the others will last for months, becoming softer as they ripen. The tsamma melon, a watermelon, supplies vital water to the Bush people of the Kalahari Desert. The round melons can grow to 1 ft (30 cm) across and vary in color.