Jump to content
Main menu
Main menu
move to sidebar
hide
Navigation
Main page
Recent changes
Random page
Help about MediaWiki
Special pages
Niidae Wiki
Search
Search
Appearance
Create account
Log in
Personal tools
Create account
Log in
Pages for logged out editors
learn more
Contributions
Talk
Editing
Cucurbita
(section)
Page
Discussion
English
Read
Edit
View history
Tools
Tools
move to sidebar
hide
Actions
Read
Edit
View history
General
What links here
Related changes
Page information
Appearance
move to sidebar
hide
Warning:
You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you
log in
or
create an account
, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.
Anti-spam check. Do
not
fill this in!
==Distribution and habitat== [[File:2009 Circleville Pumpkin Show champions.jpg|thumb|alt=Very large orange pumpkins| A festival-winning pumpkin in 2009 weighing {{convert|742|kg|lb|sp=us}}]] The ancestral species of the genus ''Cucurbita'' were present in the Americas before the [[Prehistoric migration and settlement of the Americas from Asia|arrival of humans]],<ref name="bemiwhitaker">{{cite journal |last1=Bemis |first1=W. P. |last2=Whitaker |first2=Thomas W. |author-link2=Thomas W. Whitaker |date=April 1969 |title=The Xerophytic ''Cucurbita'' of Northwestern Mexico and Southwestern United States |journal=[[Madroño (journal)|Madroño]] |publisher=California Botanical Society |volume=20 |issue=2 |pages=33–41 |jstor=41423342}}</ref><ref name="smith2006">{{cite journal |last=Smith |first=Bruce D. |date=15 August 2006 |title=Eastern North America as an Independent Center of Plant Domestication |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America |volume=103 |issue=33 |pages=12223–12228 |bibcode=2006PNAS..10312223S |doi=10.1073/pnas.0604335103 |pmc=1567861 |pmid=16894156 |doi-access=free}}</ref> and are native to the [[Americas]]. The likely center of origin is southern Mexico, spreading south through what is now known as Mesoamerica, into South America, and north to what is now the southwestern United States.<ref name="bemiwhitaker" /> Evolutionarily speaking, the genus is relatively recent in origin, dating back to the [[Holocene]], whereas the family Cucurbitaceae, represented in ''[[Bryonia]]''-like seeds, dates to the [[Paleocene]].<ref name="Kubitzki2010">{{cite book |last=Kubitzki |first=Klaus |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_hHvYeQYTTEC&pg=PA120 |title=Flowering Plants. Eudicots: Sapindales, Cucurbitales, Myrtaceae |date=2011 |publisher=Springer Science & Business Media |isbn=978-3-642-14397-7 |location=Heidelberg |pages=120–122 |quote=The fossil record of Cucurbitaceae and indeed of the order Cucurbitales is sparse.. The oldest fossils are seeds from the Uppermost Paleocene and Lower Eocene London Clay (65MA).. ''Bryonia''-like seeds from fossil beda at Tambov, Western Siberia date to the Lower Sarmat, 15–13 MA ago. Subfossil records of ''Cucurbita pepo'' have been dated to 8,000–7,000 B.C. at Guila Naquitz ..., those of ''C. moschata'' in the northern Peruvian Andes to up to 9,200 B.P.}}</ref> Recent genomic studies support the idea that the ''Cucurbita'' genus underwent a whole-genome duplication event, increasing the number of chromosomes and accelerating the rate at which their genomes evolve relative to other cucurbits.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Sun |first1=Honghe |last2=Wu |first2=Shan |last3=Zhang |first3=Guoyu |last4=Jiao |first4=Chen |last5=Guo |first5=Shaogui |last6=Ren |first6=Yi |last7=Zhang |first7=Jie |last8=Zhang |first8=Haiying |last9=Gong |first9=Guoyi |last10=Jia |first10=Zhangcai |last11=Zhang |first11=Fan |last12=Tian |first12=Jiaxing |last13=Lucas |first13=William J. |last14=Doyle |first14=Jeff J. |last15=Li |first15=Haizhen |last16=Fei |first16=Zhangjun |last17=Xu |first17=Yong |display-authors=5 |date=October 2017 |title=Karyotype Stability and Unbiased Fractionation in the Paleo-Allotetraploid Cucurbita Genomes |journal=Molecular Plant |volume=10 |issue=10 |pages=1293–1306 |doi=10.1016/j.molp.2017.09.003 |pmid=28917590 |doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Montero-Pau |first1=Javier |last2=Blanca |first2=José |last3=Bombarely |first3=Aureliano |last4=Ziarsolo |first4=Peio |last5=Esteras |first5=Cristina |last6=Martí-Gómez |first6=Carlos |last7=Ferriol |first7=María |last8=Gómez |first8=Pedro |last9=Jamilena |first9=Manuel |last10=Mueller |first10=Lukas |last11=Picó |first11=Belén |last12=Cañizares |first12=Joaquín |date=June 2018 |title=De novo assembly of the zucchini genome reveals a whole-genome duplication associated with the origin of the Cucurbita genus |journal=Plant Biotechnology Journal |volume=16 |issue=6 |pages=1161–1171 |doi=10.1111/pbi.12860 |pmc=5978595 |pmid=29112324}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Barrera-Redondo |first1=Josué |last2=Ibarra-Laclette |first2=Enrique |last3=Vázquez-Lobo |first3=Alejandra |last4=Gutiérrez-Guerrero |first4=Yocelyn T. |last5=Sánchez de la Vega |first5=Guillermo |last6=Piñero |first6=Daniel |last7=Montes-Hernández |first7=Salvador |last8=Lira-Saade |first8=Rafael |last9=Eguiarte |first9=Luis E. |date=April 2019 |title=The Genome of Cucurbita argyrosperma (Silver-Seed Gourd) Reveals Faster Rates of Protein-Coding Gene and Long Noncoding RNA Turnover and Neofunctionalization within Cucurbita |journal=Molecular Plant |volume=12 |issue=4 |pages=506–520 |doi=10.1016/j.molp.2018.12.023 |pmid=30630074 |s2cid=58638439 |doi-access=free}}</ref> No species within the genus is entirely genetically isolated. ''C. moschata'' can intercross with all ''Cucurbita'' species, though the hybrid offspring may not be fertile unless they become [[polyploid]].<ref name="whitaker" /> Evidence of domestication of Cucurbita goes back over 8,000 years from the southernmost parts of Canada down to Argentina and Chile. Centers of domestication stretch from the Mississippi River watershed and Texas down through Mexico and Central America to northern and western South America.<ref name="nee" /> Of the 27 species that Nee delineates, five are domesticated. Four of these, ''C. argyrosperma'', ''C. ficifolia'', ''C. moschata'', and ''C. pepo'', originated and were domesticated in [[Mesoamerica]]; the fifth, ''C. maxima'', originated and was domesticated in South America.<ref name="saade">{{cite web |last1=Saade |first1=R. Lira |last2=Hernández |first2=S. Montes |title=Cucurbits |url=http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/1492/cucurbits.html |publisher=Purdue Horticulture |access-date=September 2, 2013 |archive-date=October 9, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211009220541/https://hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/1492/cucurbits.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Within ''C. pepo'', the pumpkins, the [[Pattypan squash|scallops]], and possibly the crooknecks are ancient and were domesticated at different times and places. The domesticated forms of ''C. pepo'' have larger fruits than non-domesticated forms and seeds that are larger but fewer in number.<ref name="paris1989" /> In a 1989 study on the origins and development of ''C. pepo'', botanist Harry Paris suggested that the original wild specimen had a small round fruit and that the modern pumpkin is its direct descendant. He suggested that the crookneck, ornamental gourd, and scallop are early variants and that the acorn squash is a cross between the scallop and the pumpkin.<ref name="paris1989" /> [[File:Cucurbita moschata Butternut 2012 G2.jpg|thumb|alt=Sliced butternut squash|''C. moschata'' 'Butternut']] ''C. argyrosperma'' is not as widespread as the other species. The wild form ''C. a.'' subsp. ''sororia'' is found from [[Mexico]] to [[Nicaragua]], and cultivated forms are used in a somewhat wider area stretching from Panama to the southeastern United States.<ref name="saade" /> It was probably bred for its seeds, which are large and high in [[Oil#Organic oils|oil]] and [[Protein (nutrient)|protein]], but its flesh is of poorer quality than that of ''C. moschata'' and ''C. pepo''. It is grown in a wide altitudinal range: from sea level to as high as {{convert|1800|m|ft|sp=us}} in dry areas, usually with the use of irrigation, or in areas with a defined rainy season, where seeds are sown in May and June.<ref name="saade" /> ''C. ficifolia'' and ''C. moschata'' were originally thought to be Asiatic in origin, but this has been disproven. The origin of ''C. ficifolia'' is Latin America, most likely southern Mexico, Central America, or the Andes. It grows at elevations ranging from {{convert|1000|to|3000|m|ft|sp=us}} in areas with heavy rainfall. It does not hybridize well with other cultivated species as it has significantly different enzymes and chromosomes.<ref name="saade" /> ''C. maxima'' originated in South America over 4,000 years ago,<ref name="sanjur" /> probably in Argentina and Uruguay. The plants are sensitive to [[Frost#Effect on plants|frost]], and they prefer both bright sunlight and soil with a pH of 6.0 to 7.0.<ref name="uwis">{{cite web |title=''Cucurbita maxima'' Origin/ Habitat |url=http://bioweb.uwlax.edu/bio203/s2009/herman_jaci/habitat_geography.htm |publisher=University of Wisconsin |year=2007 |access-date=September 2, 2013 |archive-date=September 21, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921060145/http://bioweb.uwlax.edu/bio203/s2009/herman_jaci/habitat_geography.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> ''C. maxima'' did not start to spread into North America until after the arrival of Columbus. Varieties were in use by native peoples of the United States by the 16th century.<ref name="nee" /> Types of ''C. maxima'' include ''triloba'',<ref name="triloba">{{cite web|title=Holotype of ''Cucurbita maxima'' Duchesne var. ''triloba'' Millán [family CUCURBITACEAE]|url=http://plants.jstor.org/specimen/si001320|access-date=October 3, 2013}}{{subscription required}}</ref> ''zapallito'',<ref name="anido">{{cite journal |last1=López-Anido |first1=F. |last2=Cravero |first2=V. |last3=Asprelli |first3=P. |last4=Cointry |first4=E. |last5=Firpo |first5=I. |last6=García |first6=S. M. |title=Inheritance of Immature Fruit Color in ''Cucurbita maxima'' var. ''zapallito'' (Carrière) Millán |url=http://cuke.hort.ncsu.edu/cgc/cgc26/cgc26-15.pdf |journal=Cucurbit Genetics Cooperative Report |volume=26 |pages=48–50 |year=2003 |access-date=2013-10-03 |archive-date=2013-10-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131004220332/http://cuke.hort.ncsu.edu/cgc/cgc26/cgc26-15.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> ''zipinka'',<ref name="zipinka">{{cite web |title=Holotype of ''Cucurbita maxima'' Duchesne var. ''zipinka'' Millán [family CUCURBITACEAE]|url=http://plants.jstor.org/specimen/si001321 |access-date=October 3, 2013}}{{subscription required}}</ref> Banana, Delicious, Hubbard, Marrow (''C. maxima'' Marrow), Show, and Turban.<ref name="robinson">{{cite book |last1=Robinson |first1=Richard Warren |last2=Decker-Walters |first2=D. S. |title=Cucurbits |year=1997 |publisher=[[CAB International]] |location=Oxfordshire, UK |pages=71–83 |isbn=978-0-85199-133-7}}</ref> [[File:Cucurbita moschata 'Tromboncino'.jpg|thumb|alt=Curved green squashes|Fruit of the 'Tromboncino' cultivar of the Crookneck (''C. moschata'') [[cultivar group|Group]] are eaten either when very young, or as mature winter squash.]] ''C. moschata'' is native to Latin America, but the precise location of origin is uncertain.<ref name="wessel">{{cite journal |last=Wessel-Beaver |first=Linda |year=2000 |title=Evidence for the Center of Diversity of ''Cucurbita moschata'' in Colombia |url=http://cuke.hort.ncsu.edu/cgc/cgc23/cgc23-16.html |journal=Cucurbit Genetics Cooperative Report |volume=23 |pages=54–55 |access-date=2013-09-04 |archive-date=2013-10-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131004220329/http://cuke.hort.ncsu.edu/cgc/cgc23/cgc23-16.html |url-status=live }}</ref> It has been present in Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, and Peru for 4,000–6,000 years and has spread to Bolivia, Ecuador, Panama, Puerto Rico, and Venezuela. This species is closely related to ''C. argyrosperma''. A variety known as the Seminole Pumpkin has been cultivated in Florida since before the arrival of Columbus. Its leaves are {{convert|20|to|30|cm|in|sp=us|0}} wide. It generally grows at low elevations in hot climates with heavy rainfall, but some varieties have been found above {{convert|2200|m|ft|sp=us}}.<ref name="saade" /> Groups of ''C. moschata'' include Cheese, Crookneck (''C. moschata''), and Bell.<ref name="robinson" /> ''C. pepo'' is one of the oldest, if not the oldest, domesticated species with the oldest known locations being [[Oaxaca]], Mexico, 8,000–10,000 years ago, and [[Ocampo, Tamaulipas]], Mexico, about 7,000 years ago. It is known to have appeared in [[Missouri]], United States, at least 4,000 years ago.<ref name="nee" /><ref name="saade" /><ref name="tamu">{{cite web |last=Wilson |first=Hugh D. |publisher=Texas A&M Bioinformatics Working Group |url=http://botany.csdl.tamu.edu/FLORA/flcp/flcp3.htm |work=Free-living Cucurbita pepo in the United States Viral Resistance, Gene Flow, and Risk Assessment |title=What is ''Cucurbita texana''? |access-date=September 8, 2013 |archive-date=September 27, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130927212331/http://botany.csdl.tamu.edu/FLORA/flcp/flcp3.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name = "gibbonames238" /> Debates about the origin of ''C. pepo'' have been on-going since at least 1857.<ref name="kirkpatrick">{{cite journal | last1 = Kirkpatrick | first1 = Kurt J. | last2 = Wilson | first2 = Hugh D. | year = 1988 | title = Interspecific Gene Flow in ''Cucurbita'': ''C. texana'' vs. ''C. pepo'' | journal = [[American Journal of Botany]] | volume = 75 | issue = 4 | pages = 519–527 | publisher = Botanical Society of America | doi = 10.2307/2444217| jstor = 2444217 }}</ref> There have traditionally been two opposing theories about its origin: 1) that it is a direct descendant of ''C. texana'' and 2) that ''C. texana'' is merely [[Feral organism|feral]] ''C. pepo''.<ref name="nee" /> A more recent theory by botanist Thomas Andres in 1987 is that descendants of ''C. fraterna'' hybridized with ''C. texana'',<ref name="andres2">{{cite journal |last=Andres |first=Thomas C. |year=1987 |title=''Cucurbita fraterna'', the Closest Wild Relative and Progenitor of ''C. pepo'' |url=http://cuke.hort.ncsu.edu/cgc/cgc10/cgc10-36.html |url-status=live |journal=Cucurbit Genetics Cooperative Report |volume=10 |pages=69–71 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921053841/http://cuke.hort.ncsu.edu/cgc/cgc10/cgc10-36.html |archive-date=2013-09-21 |access-date=2013-09-06}}</ref> resulting in two distinct domestication events in two different areas: one in Mexico and one in the eastern United States, with ''C. fraterna'' and ''C. texana'', respectively, as the ancestral species.<ref name="saade" /><ref name="sanjur" /><ref name="andres2" /><ref name="soltis">{{cite book|last1=Soltis|first1=Douglas E. |last2=Soltis |first2=Pamela S.|author-link2 = Pamela S. Soltis|title=Isozymes in Plant Biology |page=176|location=London |publisher=Dioscorodes Press|year=1990|isbn=978-0-412-36500-3}}</ref> ''C. pepo'' may have appeared in the Old World before moving from Mexico into South America.<ref name="saade" /> It is found from sea level to slightly above {{convert|2000|m|ft|sp=us}}. Leaves have 3–5 lobes and are {{convert|20–35|cm|in|sp=us|0}} wide. All the subspecies, varieties, and [[cultivar]]s are [[Hybrid (biology)|interfertile]].<ref name="deckerwalters" /> In 1986 Paris proposed a revised taxonomy of the edible cultivated ''C. pepo'' based primarily on the shape of the fruit, with eight groups.<ref name="paris1989" /><ref name="paris1986" /> All but a few ''C. pepo'' cultivars can be included in these groups.<ref name="saade" /><ref name="paris1986">{{cite journal |last=Paris |first=Harry S. |journal=Phytologia |title=A Proposed Subspecific Classification for ''Cucurbita pepo'' |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/47050#page/145/mode/1up |year=1986 |volume=61 |issue=3 |pages=133–138 |access-date=2018-01-13 |archive-date=2017-07-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170728150825/http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/47050#page/145/mode/1up |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="mbccp">{{cite web |url=http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/gardens-gardening/your-garden/plant-finder/plant-details/kc/a686/cucurbita-pepo.aspx |publisher=Missouri Botanical Garden |title=Cucurbita pepo |access-date=September 2, 2013 |archive-date=September 11, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130911064453/http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/gardens-gardening/your-garden/plant-finder/plant-details/kc/a686/cucurbita-pepo.aspx |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="heistinger">{{cite book |last=Heistinger |first=Andrea |title=The Manual of Seed Saving: Harvesting, Storing, and Sowing Techniques for Vegetables, Herbs, and Fruits |publisher=Timber Press |location=Portland, OR|year=2013 |page=278 |isbn=978-1-60469-382-9}}</ref> There is one non-edible cultivated variety: ''C. pepo'' var. ''ovifera''.<ref name="decker">{{cite journal | last1 = Decker | first1 = Deena S. | last2 = Wilson | first2 = Hugh D. | year = 1987 | title = Allozyme Variation in the ''Cucurbita pepo'' Complex: ''C. pepo'' var. ''ovifera'' vs. ''C. texana'' | journal = [[Systematic Botany]] | volume = 12 | issue = 2 | pages = 263–273 | publisher = American Society of Plant Taxonomists | jstor = 2419320 | doi = 10.2307/2419320}}</ref> {| class="wikitable sortable" |+A classification of cultivated ''C. pepo'' varieties based on Paris' eight groups and the one non-edible variety |- ! [[Cultivar group]] !! Botanical name !! Image !! Description |- | Acorn || ''C. pepo'' var. ''turbinata'' || [[File:Starr 070730-7820 Cucurbita pepo.jpg|100px|alt=Green acorn squashes]] || Winter squash, both a shrubby and creeping plant, obovoid or conical shape, pointed at the apex and with longitudinal grooves, thus resembling a spinning top,<ref name="paris1986" /> ex: [[Acorn squash]]<ref name="saade" /><ref name="mbccp" /><ref name="heistinger" /> |- | Cocozzelle || ''C. pepo'' var. ''Ionga'' || [[File:Cucurbita pepo Cocozelle fruits.jpg|100px|alt=Slender green Cocozzelle squash]] || Summer squash, long round slender fruit that is slightly bulbous at the apex,<ref name="paris1986" /> similar to ''fastigata'', ex: Cocozelle von tripolis<ref name="saade" /><ref name="mbccp" /><ref name="heistinger" /> |- | Crookneck || ''C. pepo'' var. ''torticollia'' (also ''torticollis'') || [[File:Crooked Neck Squash.jpg|100px|alt=Yellow curved squash]] || Summer squash, shrubby plant, with yellow, golden, or white fruit which is long and curved at the end and generally has a verrucose (wart-covered) rind,<ref name="paris1986" /> ex: [[Crookneck squash]]<ref name="saade" /><ref name="mbccp" /><ref name="heistinger" /> |- | Pumpkin || ''C. pepo'' var. ''pepo'' || [[File:Pumpkin 2 - Evan Swigart.jpg|75px|center|alt=Round orange pumpkin]] || Winter squash, creeping plant, round, oblate, or oval shape and round or flat on the ends,<ref name="paris1986" /> ex: [[Pumpkin]];<ref name="saade" /><ref name="mbccp" /><ref name="heistinger" /> includes ''C. pepo'' subsp. ''pepo'' var. ''styriaca'', used for Styrian [[pumpkin seed oil]]<ref name="fürnkranz">{{cite journal | last1 = Fürnkranz | first1 = Michael | last2 = Lukesch | first2 = Birgit | last3 = Müller | first3 = Henry | last4 = Huss | first4 = Herbert | last5 = Grube | first5 = Martin | last6 = Berg | first6 = Gabriele | year = 2012 | title = Microbial Diversity Inside Pumpkins: Microhabitat-Specific Communities Display a High Antagonistic Potential Against Phytopathogens | journal = [[Microbial Ecology (journal)|Microbial Ecology]] | volume = 63 | issue = 2 | pages = 418–428 | publisher = Springer | jstor = 41412429 | doi = 10.1007/s00248-011-9942-4 | pmid = 21947430 | bibcode = 2012MicEc..63..418F | s2cid = 16454305 }}</ref> |- | Scallop || ''C. pepo'' var. ''clypeata''; called ''C. melopepo'' by [[Carl Linnaeus|Linnaeus]]<ref name="deckerwalters" /> || [[File:Pattypan squash J1.jpg|100px|alt=Whitish round squash]] || Summer squash, prefers half-shrubby habitat, flattened or slightly discoidal shape, with undulations or equatorial edges,<ref name="paris1986" /> ex: [[Pattypan squash]]<ref name="saade" /><ref name="mbccp" /><ref name="heistinger" /> |- | Straightneck || ''C. pepo'' var. ''recticollis'' || [[File:Cucurbita pepo Yellow Squash 3.jpg|100px|alt=Yellow straight squashes]] || Summer squash, shrubby plant, with yellow or golden fruit and verrucose rind, similar to var. ''torticollia'' but a stem end that narrows,<ref name="paris1986" /> ex: [[Straightneck squash]]<ref name="saade" /><ref name="mbccp" /><ref name="heistinger" /> |- | Vegetable marrow || ''C. pepo'' var. ''fastigata'' || [[File:Spaghetti Squash 700.jpg|100px|alt=White oval squash]] || Summer and winter squashes, creeper traits and a semi-shrub, cream to dark green color, short round fruit with a slightly broad apex,<ref name="paris1986" /> ex: [[Spaghetti squash]] (a winter variety)<ref name="saade" /><ref name="mbccp" /><ref name="heistinger" /> |- | Zucchini/Courgette || ''C. pepo'' var. ''cylindrica'' || [[File:Zucchini-Whole.jpg|100px|alt=Slender green squash]] || Summer squash, presently the most common group of cultivars, origin is recent (19th century), semi-shrubby, cylindrical fruit with a mostly consistent diameter,<ref name="paris1986" /> similar to ''fastigata'', ex: [[Zucchini]]<ref name="saade" /><ref name="mbccp" /><ref name="heistinger" /> |- | Ornamental gourds || ''C. pepo'' var. ''ovifera'' || [[File:Cucurbita pepo var ovifera (crop).jpg|100px|alt=Squash that is that half yellow and half green]] || Non-edible,<ref name="decker" /> field squash closely related to ''C. texana'', vine habitat, thin stems, small leaves, three sub-groups: ''C. pepo'' var. ''ovifera'' (egg-shaped, pear-shaped), ''C. pepo'' var. ''aurantia'' (orange color), and ''C. pepo'' var. ''verrucosa'' (round warty gourds), ornamental gourds found in Texas and called var. ''texana'' and ornamental gourds found outside of Texas (Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana) are called var. ''ozarkana''<ref name="tamu" /> |}
Summary:
Please note that all contributions to Niidae Wiki may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here.
You are also promising us that you wrote this yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource (see
Encyclopedia:Copyrights
for details).
Do not submit copyrighted work without permission!
Cancel
Editing help
(opens in new window)
Search
Search
Editing
Cucurbita
(section)
Add topic