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Cucurbita (Latin for 'gourd') [2] [3] 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.
The Cucurbitaceae (/ k j uː ˌ k ɜːr b ɪ ˈ t eɪ s iː ˌ iː /), [2] also called cucurbits or the gourd family, are a plant family consisting of about 965 species [3] in 101 genera. [4] Those of most agricultural, commercial or nutritional value to humans include: [citation needed] Cucurbita – squash, pumpkin, zucchini (courgette), some ...
Cucurbita (Latin for gourd) [3] is a genus of herbaceous vines in the gourd family, Cucurbitaceae, also known as cucurbits, native to the Andes and Mesoamerica.Five species are grown worldwide for their edible fruit, variously known as squash, pumpkin, or gourd depending on species, variety, and local parlance, [a] and for their seeds.
Gourd is occasionally used to describe crop plants in the family Cucurbitaceae, like pumpkins, cucumbers, squash, luffa, and melons. [1] More specifically, gourd refers to the fruits of plants in the two Cucurbitaceae genera Lagenaria and Cucurbita, [2] [3] or also to their hollow, dried-out shell. There are many different gourds worldwide.
This species originated in South America from the wild subspecies Cucurbita maxima subsp. andreana over 4,000 years ago. [3] Cucurbita maxima , known for modern varieties as Hubbard, Delicious, Marblehead, Boston Marrow, and Turks Turban, originated in northern Argentina near the Andes or in certain Andean valleys. [ 4 ]
The Cucurbitoideae are a subfamily of the flowering plant family Cucurbitaceae (gourds). The Cucurbitaceae are divided into two subfamilies, the Zanonioideae, probably a paraphyletic group of remainders, and the well-supported monophyletic Cucurbitoideae. [1] The subfamily Cucurbitoideae consists of eight tribes.
The earliest cultivated plant in North America is the bottle gourd, remains of which have been excavated at Little Salt Spring, Florida dating to 8000 BCE. [7] Squash (Cucurbita pepo var. ozarkana) is considered to be one of the first domesticated plants in the Eastern Woodlands, having been found in the region about 5000 BCE, though possibly not domesticated in the region until about 1000 BCE.
Watermelon and melon in India. Melons were thought to have originated in Africa. [6] However, recent studies suggest a Southwest Asian origin, especially Iran and India; [7] [8] from there, they gradually began to appear in Europe toward the end of the Western Roman Empire.