Genus of herbaceous vines in the gourd family, Cucurbitaceae
Squash
Cucurbita fruits come in an assortment of colors and sizes.
Cross section of Cultivated Cucurbita of Canada
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Plantae
Clade:
Tracheophytes
Clade:
Angiosperms
Clade:
Eudicots
Clade:
Rosids
Order:
Cucurbitales
Family:
Cucurbitaceae
Tribe:
Cucurbiteae
Genus:
Cucurbita L.
Synonyms[1]
Mellonia Gasp.
Melopepo Mill.
Ozodycus Raf.
Pepo Mill.
Pileocalyx Gasp.
Sphenantha Schrad.
Tristemon Scheele 1848, illegitimate homonym, not Raf. 1819 (Juncaginaceae) nor Raf. 1838 (Juncaceae) nor Klotzsch 1838 (Ericaceae)[2]
Cucurbita (Latin for 'gourd')[3][4] is a genus of herbaceous fruits in the gourd family, Cucurbitaceae (also known as cucurbits or cucurbi), native to the Andes and Mesoamerica. Five edible species are grown and consumed for their flesh and seeds. They are variously known as squash, pumpkin, or gourd, depending on species, variety, and local parlance.[a] Other kinds of gourd, also called bottle-gourds, are native to Africa and belong to the genus Lagenaria, which is in the same family and subfamily as Cucurbita, but in a different tribe. These other gourds are used as utensils or vessels, and their young fruits are eaten much like those of the Cucurbita species.
Most Cucurbita species are herbaceous vines that grow several meters in length and have tendrils, but non-vining "bush" cultivars of C. pepo and C. maxima have also been developed. The yellow or orange flowers on a Cucurbita plant are of two types: female and male. The female flowers produce the fruit and the male flowers produce pollen. Many North and Central American species are visited by specialist bee pollinators, but other insects with more general feeding habits, such as honey bees, also visit.
There is debate about the taxonomy of the genus and the number of accepted species varies from 13 to 30. The five domesticated species are Cucurbita argyrosperma, C. ficifolia, C. maxima, C. moschata, and C. pepo, all of which can be treated as winter squash because the full-grown fruits can be stored for months. However, C. pepo includes some cultivars that are better used only as summer squash.
The fruits of the genus Cucurbita are good sources of nutrients, such as vitamin A and vitamin C, among other nutrients according to species. The fruits have many culinary uses including pumpkin pie, biscuits, bread, desserts, puddings, beverages, and soups. Although botanical fruits, Cucurbita gourds such as squash are typically cooked and eaten as vegetables. Pumpkins see more varied use, and are eaten both as vegetables and as desserts such as pumpkin pie.
^"Cucurbita L." Tropicos, Missouri Botanical Garden. Archived from the original on August 7, 2019. Retrieved January 12, 2014.
^"Tristemon". Tropicos, Missouri Botanical Garden. Archived from the original on February 20, 2022. Retrieved January 14, 2015.
^Cite error: The named reference burrows was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Gledhill, David (2008). The Names of Plants. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 127. ISBN 9780521866453.
^Ferriol, María; Picó, Belén (2007). "3". Handbook of Plant Breeding: Vegetables I. New York: Springer. p. 317. ISBN 978-0-387-72291-7. The common terms "pumpkin", "squash", "gourd", "cushaw", "ayote", "zapallo", "calabaza", etc. are often applied indiscriminately to different cultivated species of the New World genus Cucurbita L. (Cucurbitaceae): C. pepo L., C. maxima Duchesne, C. moschata Duchesne, C. argyrosperma C. Huber and C. ficifolia Bouché.
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Cucurbita (Latin for 'gourd') is a genus of herbaceous fruits in the gourd family, Cucurbitaceae (also known as cucurbits or cucurbi), native to the Andes...
Cucurbita pepo is a cultivated plant of the genus Cucurbita. It yields varieties of winter squash and pumpkin, but the most widespread varieties belong...
Cucurbita ficifolia is a species of squash, grown for its edible seeds, fruit, and greens. It has common names including Asian pumpkin, black seed squash...
used for some cultivars of Cucurbita argyrosperma, Cucurbita ficifolia, Cucurbita maxima, Cucurbita moschata, and Cucurbita pepo. C. pepo pumpkins are...
Cucurbita maxima, one of at least five species of cultivated squash, is one of the most diverse domesticated species. This species originated in South...
2010. Walahfrid Strabo (2002). De cultura hortorum sive Hortulus VII Cucurbita (in Latin). Fachhochschule Augsburg: bibliotheca Augustana. White, Nancy...
Cucurbita foetidissima is a tuberous xerophytic plant found in the central and southwestern United States and northern Mexico. It has numerous common...
Cucurbita moschata is a species originating in either Central America or northern South America. It includes cultivars known as squash or pumpkin. C....
Cucurbita argyrosperma, also called the cushaw squash and silver-seed gourd, is a species of winter squash originally from the south of Mexico. This annual...
and coyote gourd. It is similar to Cucurbita californica, Cucurbita cordata, Cucurbita cylindrata, and Cucurbita digitata and all these species hybridize...
an annual fruit representing several squash species within the genus Cucurbita. Late-growing, less symmetrical, odd-shaped, rough or warty varieties...
; pl.: zucchini or zucchinis), courgette (/kʊərˈʒɛt/) or baby marrow (Cucurbita pepo) is a summer squash, a vining herbaceous plant whose fruit are harvested...
Butternut squash (Cucurbita moschata), known in Australia and New Zealand as butternut pumpkin or gramma, is a type of winter squash that grows on a vine...
some flowering plant species in the family Cucurbitaceae, particularly Cucurbita and Lagenaria. The term refers to a number of species and subspecies,...
and edible. Nearly all summer squashes are varieties of Cucurbita pepo, although not all Cucurbita pepo are considered summer squashes. Most summer squash...
and bitter squash. It is similar to Cucurbita californica, Cucurbita cordata, Cucurbita cylindrata, and Cucurbita palmata and all these species hybridize...
Cucurbita pedatifolia is a xerophyte plant species of the genus Cucurbita. It is native to Querétaro, Mexico. It has not been domesticated. While C. pedatifolia...
Cucurbita radicans, commonly known in Mexico as calabacilla (little pumpkin/gourd) or calabaza de coyote (coyote gourd), is a species of gourd found...
Cucurbita lundelliana is a mesophyte plant species of the genus Cucurbita. It is native to Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize. It has not been domesticated...
Mexican food stores. The earliest known evidence of the domestication of Cucurbita dates back 8,000–10,000 years ago, predating the domestication of other...
courgette flowers in Great Britain) are the edible flowers of Cucurbita species, particularly Cucurbita pepo, the species that produces zucchini (courgette),...
tropical America, and the Philippines. Calabaza is the common name for Cucurbita moschata in Cuba, Florida, Puerto Rico, Mexico and the Philippines (where...
Cucurbita californica is a species of flowering plant in the squash family. The species was first identified by Sereno Watson in 1876. There is disagreement...
pumpkin seeds from a local variety of pumpkin, the "Styrian oil pumpkin" (Cucurbita pepo subsp. pepo var. 'styriaca', also known as var. oleifera). High-temperature...
genera. Those most important to humans are the following:[citation needed] Cucurbita – squash, pumpkin, zucchini or courgette, some gourds Lagenaria – calabash...
Connecticut field pumpkins are a type of pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo) first attested in the 16th century. They are one of the oldest varieties of pumpkin...
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