Cucurbita cylindrata facts for kids

Cucurbita cylindrata is a type of flowering plant. It belongs to the squash family. This plant looks a lot like other squash species. These include Cucurbita californica, Cucurbita cordata, Cucurbita digitata, and Cucurbita palmata. They can easily mix their genes together. This means they can create new types of plants.

These plants are special. They are the only group in the Cucurbita family that are xerophytes. This means they are perfectly suited for very dry places. Each of these plants grows naturally in the Southwestern United States and Northwestern Mexico. They are not very common there. You can find them in hot, dry areas with little rain. They like loose, gravelly, and well-drained soil. C. cylindrata itself is found only in the middle part of Baja California. Most of them are in Baja California Sur.

What Makes C. cylindrata Unique?

Botanists Bemis and Whitaker think C. cordata and C. cylindrata might be an example of sympatric speciation. This is when new species develop in the same area.

How Its Leaves and Roots Change

Young C. cylindrata plants have leaves that look very similar. This is true for C. cordata, C. digitata, and C. palmata too. But as the plants grow, their mature leaves look quite different. Their root systems also develop in unique ways.

The Fruit of C. cylindrata

The fruits of C. cylindrata are easy to spot. They are dark green with stripes. They also have a round shape.

Who Discovered C. cylindrata?

This plant was first officially identified in 1943. The person who discovered it was a famous botanist named Liberty Hyde Bailey.