On Sat, 25 Jan 2003 18:36:20 GMT, wrote:

On Fri, 24 Jan 2003 19:18:53 +0100, "Pietje Bell"
wrote:

Cantaloupe and "Netmeloen" (the Dutch name) "cucumis melo reticulatis" are
two different melons for sure!!


I think this may be a difference in nomenclature between the US and
Europe. The Joy of Cooking describes 4 types of dessert melons (all
the melons that are not watermelon). There's the smooth or winter
group, which has the late-ripening melons. The netted melons include
_American cantaloupe_, muskmelon, etc. "In Europe, and botanically
speaking, _true cantaloupes_ have another shape. They have a smooth
hard rind, and may be lightly fluted. " The French Charentais melon
is in that group. And then there are the tropical melons, such as
Galia, Ha-Ogen, Passport, etc.

The joy of proper Latin nomenclature is that it transcends local
nicknames. The OP mentioned a genus, species, and variety that should
be universal in the plant world, whether we call them 'muskmelons',
'netmelons', 'cantaloupe', or 'the kind that grows behind Joe's
garage.'