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Cucurbita moschata

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Cucurbita moschata
Butternut squash, a variety of Cucurbita moschata
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Cucurbitales
Family: Cucurbitaceae
Genus: Cucurbita
Species:
C. moschata
Binomial name
Cucurbita moschata
Synonyms[1]
  • Cucurbita colombiana (Zhit.) Bukasov
  • Cucurbita hippopera Ser.
  • Cucurbita macrocarpa Gasp.
  • Cucurbita meloniformis Carrière
  • Cucurbita pepo var. moschata Duchesne
  • Gymnopetalum calyculatum Miq.
  • Pepo moschata (Duchesne) Britton

Cucurbita moschata is a species originating in the tropical Americas [2] which is cultivated for edible flesh, flowers, greens, and seeds.[3] It includes cultivars known in English as squash or pumpkin. Cultivars of C. moschata are generally more tolerant of hot, humid weather than squash of other domesticated species. C. moschata also exhibit a greater resistance to certain disease and insects, notably including to the squash vine borer. Commercially made pumpkin pie mix is most often made from varieties of C. moschata.

History

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All species of squashes and pumpkins are native to the Western Hemisphere, and the ancestral members of the genus Cucurbita were present in the Americas before humans.[3] Squash are important food plants of the original people of the region, ranking next to maize and beans in many precolonial American economies.[3]

In the modern era, C. moschata has been one of the most widely cultivated Cucurbita in the tropics. Even so, it has been proposed that production statistics do not reflect its true proliferation because it is often grown on a small-scale basis for local consumption. The greatest diversity among C. moschata populations can be found in the tropical Americas, suggesting a center of origin in that region. Various areas have been proposed for the origin, with one recent candidate area in northwestern South America.[4]

Systematics

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No modern Cucurbita species is considered fully genetically isolated and C. moschata can be hybridized with any other species in the genus. It has been suggested that this shows that the species of Cucurbita have diversified more recently than those of related genera such as Cucumis and Citrullus.[5]

Historically, varieties of cushaw squash now classified as Cucurbita argyrosperma were assigned to Cucurbita moschata. A small number of C. moschata varieties are still commonly known as cushaws. Genetic research indicates that, while distinct species, C. argyrosperma and C. moschata are closely related.[6]

Cultivars

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Variety is used here interchangeably with cultivar, but not with species or taxonomic variety.

  • Al Hachi – a winter squash used in Kashmir, usually dried
  • Aehobak – a summer squash, also called Korean zucchini
  • Brazilian crook neck, Abóbora de pescoço or Abóbora seca – a large, curved-neck variety with deep orange flesh and dark green skin with light orange highlights found in Brazil.[7]
  • Butternut squash – a popular winter squash in much of North America
  • Calabaza – a commonly grown winter squash in the Caribbean, tropical America, and the Philippines
  • Dickinson pumpkin – Libby's uses a proprietary strain of Dickinson for its canned pumpkin[8][9]
  • Giromon – a large, green cultivar, grown primarily in the Caribbean. Haitians use it to make the traditional "soupe giromon".[10]
  • Golden Cushaw – Similar in shape but a different species than the common Cucurbita argyrosperma "cushaw" type.[11][12]
  • Loche – a landrace of squashes from Peru.[13]
  • Liscia – grows early in the season, reaching maturation after 115 to 130 days[14]
  • Long Island cheese pumpkin – the exterior resembles a wheel of cheese in shape, color, and texture
  • Musquée de Provence, Moscata di Provenza or Fairytale pumpkin – a large hybrid from France with sweet, fragrant, deep-orange flesh often sold by the slice due to its size. [15]
  • Naples long squash or Courge pleine de Naples – a large, long squash with deep green skin and small bulb at the end. It is 10 to 25 kg on average and found in France and Italy[16]
  • São Paulo pumpkin or Abóbora paulista is a butternut-shaped variety with well-defined white and green stripes along its length
  • Seminole pumpkin – an heirloom variety originally cultivated by the Seminole people of what is now Florida[17]
  • Tromboncino – a summer squash, also known as "Zucchetta"[18]
[edit]
  • Aehobak or "Korean zucchini"
    Aehobak or "Korean zucchini"
  • Brazilian crook neck or Abóbora de pescoço
    Brazilian crook neck or Abóbora de pescoço
  • Butternut squash
    Butternut squash
  • Calabaza
    Calabaza
  • Trombetta
    Trombetta
  • Giromon
    Giromon
  • Long Island cheese pumpkin
    Long Island cheese pumpkin
  • Musquée de Provence (young)
    Musquée de Provence (young)
  • Musquée de Provence (mature)
    Musquée de Provence (mature)
  • Naples long squash
    Naples long squash
  • Tromboncino
    Tromboncino

References

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  1. ^ The Plant List, Cucurbita moschata
  2. ^ Hui, Yiu H. (2006). "Pumpkins and Squashes". Handbook of Food Science, Technology, and Engineering. Vol. 1. Boca Raton, Florida: CRC Press. pp. 20–10. ISBN 9781420027518.
  3. ^ a b c Victor E. Boswell and Else Bostelmann. "Our Vegetable Travelers." The National Geographic Magazine. 96.2: August 1949.
  4. ^ Thomas, Andres; Lebeda, Aleš; Paris, Harry (2004). "Diversity in tropical pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata): cultivar origin and history" (PDF). Cucurbit Network.
  5. ^ Whitaker, Thomas W.; Bemis, W. P. (1975). "Origin and Evolution of the Cultivated Cucurbita". Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club. 102 (6). New York: Torrey Botanical Society: 362–368. doi:10.2307/2484762. JSTOR 2484762.
  6. ^ Merrick, Laura (2019-05-15). "Systematics and Evolution of a Domesticated Squash, Curcubita argyrosperma, and Its Wild and Weedy Relatives". Biology and Utilization of the Cucurbitaceae. Cornell University Press. ISBN 978-1-5017-4544-7.
  7. ^ "Abóbora-de-Pescoço". Instituto Brasil a Gosto. 28 June 2019. Retrieved 25 November 2021.
  8. ^ "Pumpkins". www.agmrc.org. Retrieved 26 May 2023.
  9. ^ Arumugam, Nadia. "Why You Want Canned Pumpkin For A Better Pie, Not Fresh". Forbes. Retrieved 26 May 2023.
  10. ^ West-Duran, Alan (2003). African Caribbeans: a reference guide. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press. p. 110. ISBN 0-313-31240-0.
  11. ^ "NGA Plant database entry for Cushaw Pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata 'Golden Cushaw') with one image and 7 data details". garden.org. Retrieved 2025-01-25.
  12. ^ "PlantFiles: The Largest Plant Identification Reference Guide - Dave's Garden - Golden Cushaw". davesgarden.com. Retrieved 2025-01-25.
  13. ^ Andres TC, R Ugás, F Bustamante. 2006. Loche: A unique pre-Columbian squash locally grown in North Coastal Peru. In: Proceedings of Cucurbitaceae 2006. G.J. Holmes (eds.) Universal Press, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. pp. 333-340. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/237805567_Loche_a_Unique_Pre-Columbian_Squash_Locally_Grown_in_North_Coastal_Peru
  14. ^ Maťová, Adriána; Hegedűsová, Alžbeta; Andrejiová, Alena; Hegedűs, Ondrej; Golian, Marcel; Šlosár, Miroslav; Lidiková, Judita; Lošák, Tomáš (11 May 2021). "Evaluation of Storage and Freezing, Baking, and Boiling Treatments on Total Carotenoids Content in the Fruits of Selected Cucurbita moschata Duch. Varieties" (PDF). Journal of Food Quality. 2021: 1–9. doi:10.1155/2021/5584652.
  15. ^ "Squash". What's Cooking America. 13 November 2015. Retrieved 25 November 2021.
  16. ^ Marie, Isa (14 September 2011). "La Courge Pleine de Naples". Grelinette et Cassolettes. Retrieved 25 November 2021.
  17. ^ Castetter, Edward F. (1930). "Species Crosses in the Genus Cucurbita" (PDF). American Journal of Botany. 17 (1): 41–57. doi:10.2307/2446379. ISSN 0002-9122. JSTOR 2446379.
  18. ^ "Zucchetta". Mount Vernon Northwestern Washington Research and Extension Center: Vegetable Research and Extension. Washington State University. Retrieved 10 May 2013.
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