Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
The central and rightmost orange fruits are Cucurbita pepo, all others are Cucurbita maxima A field of giant pumpkins A pumpkin is a cultivated winter squash in the genus Cucurbita . [ 1 ] [ 2 ] The term is most commonly applied to round, orange-colored squash varieties, but does not possess a scientific definition.
Cucurbita maxima, one of at least five species of cultivated squash, is one of the most diverse domesticated species. [2] This species originated in South America from the wild subspecies Cucurbita maxima subsp. andreana over 4,000 years ago. [ 3 ]
Cucurbita moschata is a species originating in either Central America or northern South America. [2] It includes cultivars known as squash or pumpkin . C. moschata cultivars are generally more tolerant of hot, humid weather than cultivars of C. maxima or C. pepo .
This list of gourds and squashes provides an alphabetical list of (mostly edible) varieties of the plant genus Cucurbita, commonly called gourds, squashes, pumpkins and zucchinis/courgettes. Common names can differ by location. The varieties included below are members of the following species: C. argyrosperma; C. ficifolia; C. maxima; C. moschata
Per Britannica, pumpkin is technically a type of berry called a pepo, which is a fruit that has a hard outer layer and no dividing chambers. (And for the record, squash is also technically a fruit.)
Nutritional Value, Phytochemical Potential, and Therapeutic Benefits of Pumpkin (Cucurbita sp.). Phytochemical and Nutritional Analyses of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants.
Pumpkin custard made from kabocha, a cultivated variant of C. maxima Long before European contact, Cucurbita had been a major food source for the native peoples of the Americas. The species became an important food for European settlers, including the Pilgrims , who even featured it at the first Thanksgiving . [ 11 ]
Four species in the genus Cucurbita yield cultivars that are grown as winter squashes: C. argyrosperma, C. maxima, C. moschata, and C. pepo. Cultivars of winter squash that are round and orange are called pumpkins. In New Zealand and Australian English, the term pumpkin generally refers to the broader category called winter squash elsewhere. [3]