Cucurbita
Cucurbita is a genus in the gourd family Cucurbitaceae native to and originally cultivated in the Andes and Mesoamerica. The
Cucurbita genus is an important source of human food and is used for other purposes such as beverages, medicine, oil, and detergent. Some
Cucurbita species were brought to Europe after the discovery of America and are now used in many parts of the world. The plants, referred to as
squash,
pumpkin or
gourd depending on species, variety and local parlance, are grown for their edible fruits and seeds. Real gourds, used as utensils or vessels, belong to the genus
Lagenaria and are native to Africa.
Lagenaria are in the same family and subfamily as
Cucurbita, but different tribes. There are five domesticated species:
Cucurbita argyrosperma,
C. ficifolia,
C. maxima,
C. moschata, and
C. pepo.
C. pepo includes varieties of both winter squash and summer squash, and
C. moschata can be used as winter squash because the full-grown fruits can be stored for months.