Muskmelon (Cucumis melo)

Melon or muskmelon (Cucumis melo) is a plant species, annual, spreading or propagating using a spiral-shaped holder, all or some parts have hair or no hair, has two subspecies with many varieties and cultivars, many are cultivated for fruit and seed harvest.

C. melo has a primary root 15-20 cm long from the base of the stem, while secondary and tertiary roots spread to 35-45 cm long. The stem is green, in the shape of a pentagon with hairs, segmented for the petiole and has 3-7 curves.

Green leaves, arranged alternately, five corners, 3-5 curves, 8-15 cm in diameter, some bones running as long stems, rough-haired surface. Muskmelon grows in how to climb using a twisting device that appears on each leaf armpit.

Flowers grow on the armpits of leaves with long flat stems and only consist of a flower crown and five stamens. Male flowers are formed in groups with 3-6 items. Female flowers appear on the branching segments in the first or second armpit of the leaf consisting of a crown, pistil and oval shaped ovaries with short, thick fruit stalks.

Female flowers will fall out if for 2-3 days are not pollinated. Fruit is round or oval or elongated. The skin has a thickness of 1-2 mm and is green or yellow or red or white. The epidermis layer is generally netted or prickly or hairy or smooth. The mesodermic layer is 1 mm thick.

Fruit flesh that is light green or yellow or orange. Among the cavities has a set of seeds wrapped in a placenta that is white, slimy, brown or white, 0.9 mm long, 0.4 mm in diameter and 500-600 seeds in each fruit.

Melons are widely cultivated and produce great diversity in fruit characteristics among cultivars. Sizes vary from 100g, 100-400g, 400g-1000g, 1-5 kg and 4-10 kg. Flat, ellipsoid, obovoid, round and very long. Skin color, contents, sweetness, acids, aromatic compounds and climacteric behavior also show high variability.

Muskmelon has two subspecies, Cucumis melo spp. melo with long-haired ovaries and Cucumis melo ssp. agrestis with short hair. Some cultivars include cantaloupe, galia, honeydew, Western shippers, Piel de Sapo and Christmas.

This plant has several varieties including chinensis, makuwa, momordica, conomon, acidulus, chate, flexuosus, tibish, adana, ameri, cantalupensis, chandalak, reticulatus, inodorus and widower.

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Subphylum: Angiospermae
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Cucurbitales
Family: Cucurbitaceae
Genus: Cucumis
Species: Cucumis melo
Subspecies: Cucumis melo spp. melo, Cucumis melo ssp. agrestis
Varieties: Chinensis, makuwa, momordica, conomon, acidulus, chate, flexuosus, tibish, adana, ameri, cantalupensis, chandalak, reticulatus, inodorus and widower

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