muskmelon, any of several varieties of netted-rind melons in the gourd family (Cucurbitaceae), noted for their musky-scented sweet juicy orange flesh. Muskmelons are among the most-important commercial melons and are commonly eaten fresh. Although the term muskmelon is sometimes loosely applied to any dessert melon, in botanical usage it refers strictly to the fruits that are cultivars of the common melon (Cucumis melo) and are classified in the Reticulatus cultivar group. In addition, those melons are sometimes inaccurately referred to as cantaloupe in North America, a term that should properly be reserved for European melons of the Cantalupensis group.
Like all melons, muskmelons are annual vines that require a long warm growing season. They have hairy trailing stems with clasping tendrils and bear round to lobed leaves. The yellow unisexual flowers produce large fruits, which give off a sweet odour when ripe. The plants are susceptible to a number of fungal diseases, especially in humid conditions, and are killed by frost.