Technical Abstract: The Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture announces the release of a melon (Cucumis melo L.) breeding line with highly branched, fractal-type architectural growth habit and 81 derived recombinant inbred lines (RIL). The indeterminate, monoecious USDA 846-1 produces 2 to 5 concentrated crown-set fruit on a highly branched (5 to 8 primary branches), fractal architectural habit, and is capable of multiple fruiting cycles at a U.S. commercial spacing (0.35 m within row spacing on 2 m center; 72,600 plants/ha). Primary branch number and concentrated fruit set is higher than ‘Top Mark’, ‘Hale’s Best Jumbo’, ‘Esteem’, and ‘Sol Dorado’, as evaluated in Hancock, Wisconsin and El Centro, California. The fruit quality characteristics (exterior and interior quality, sugar content, ß-carotene content) of USDA 846-1 tend to be inferior to these commercial varieties. The breeding line and 81 RIL may be used to increase genetic diversity and yield potential for commercial field production, and development of U.S. Western Shipping melons with a highly branched, fractal-type architectural growth habit. This germplasm will be useful in breeding and genetic studies for deployment of marker-assisted selection (MAS) for quantitative traits associated with fruit yield and quality.