Historical Perspective Muskmelons, often called cantaloupes in the United States, are not commonly grown here. True cantaloupes have deeply grooved fruit with a hard, warty, or scaly rind and orange or green flesh. Muskmelons (Cucumis melo L. Reticulatus Group), on the other hand, possess a fruit rind that is netted. The muskmelon is a member of the Cucurbitaceae (cucumber) family, which also i...