Cucumis melo is a species of melon that has been developed into many cultivated varieties. These include smooth skinned varieties such as honeydew, crenshaw and casaba, and different netted cultivars (cantaloupe, Persian melon and Santa Claus or Oriental melon). The large number of cultivars in this species approaches that found in wild cabbage, though morphological variation is not as extensive. It is a fruit of a type that botanists call a pepo. Muskmelon is native to Persia (Iran) and adjacent areas on the west and the east. Persia and the trans-Caucasus are believed to be the main center of origin and development, with a secondary center including the northwest provinces of India, also Kashmir and Afghanistan. Although truly wild forms of C. melo have not been found, several related wild species have been noted in those regions.
Jeju melon is a small pale yellow melon with shallow white sutures commonly found in Chinese and Korean groceries. It's moderately sweet white to pale peach flesh. The rind is very thin and the seeds very small, so they can be eaten without peeling or seeding. This is a perishable melon and should be eaten within 5 days of purchase.
Melons are a good source of potassium, Vitamin A, and folate,and they are a useful laxative.