Cucurbita pepo Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Cucurbita pepo

Different types of Cucurbita pepo, including pattypan squash, yellow summer squash, zucchini, and pumpkins
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Synonyms
Citrullus variegatus Schrad. ex M.Roem. Cucumis pepo (L.) Dumort. Cucumis zapallo Steud. Cucurbita aurantia Willd. Cucurbita ceratoceras Haberle ex Mart. Cucurbita clodiensis Nocca Cucurbita courgero Ser. Cucurbita elongata Bean ex Schrad. Cucurbita esculenta Gray Cucurbita fastuosa Salisb. Cucurbita grisea M.Roem. Cucurbita hybrida Bertol. ex Naudin Cucurbita lignosa Mill. Cucurbita mammeata Molina Cucurbita mammosa J.F.Gmel. Cucurbita marsupiiformis Haberle ex M.Roem. [Invalid] Cucurbita melopepo L. Cucurbita oblonga Link Cucurbita polymorpha Duchesne Cucurbita pomiformis M.Roem. Cucurbita pyridaris Duchesne ex Poir. Cucurbita pyxidaris DC. Cucurbita subverrucosa Willd. Cucurbita succado Nägeli ex Naudin Cucurbita succedo Arn. Cucurbita tuberculosa Schrad. Cucurbita urnigera Schrad. Cucurbita variegata Steud. Cucurbita venosa Descourt. Cucurbita verrucosa L. Pepo citrullus Sageret Pepo potiron Sageret Pepo vulgaris Moench

Cucurbita pepo is a type of plant that belongs to the Cucurbita family. It gives us many different kinds of winter squash and pumpkin. However, the most common types are part of the group called Cucurbita pepo subsp. pepo, which we know as summer squash.

This plant has been grown by people in the Americas for thousands of years. Some scientists think C. pepo came from a wild plant called C. texana. Others believe C. texana is actually C. pepo that grew wild again. C. pepo is used in many ways, especially as food and sometimes for traditional medicine. It is also a food source for insects like the melonworm moth and squash vine borer. Squash bees also love its pollen.

The Amazing History of Cucurbita Pepo
Different Types of Cucurbita Pepo
What Cucurbita Pepo Looks Like
Popular Varieties of Cucurbita Pepo
How People Use Cucurbita Pepo
Gallery
See also

The Amazing History of Cucurbita Pepo

The many types of C. pepo look so different that people sometimes thought they were completely separate species. This is because C. pepo grows in many different places around the world. It is one of the oldest, if not the oldest, plants that humans have grown.

Scientists have found the oldest known C. pepo plants in southern Mexico, dating back 8,000–10,000 years ago. It also grew north into Texas and along the Mississippi River into Illinois and Florida. It was one of the important plants grown in ancient North America. Some types of C. pepo grow in dry areas, while others prefer moist places.

Different Types of Cucurbita Pepo

There are many different kinds of C. pepo. They vary a lot in shape and color. Here are some of the main groups:

Cultivar group	Botanical name	What it looks like
Acorn	C. pepo var. turbinata	A winter squash shaped like a spinning top, pointed at one end with grooves. Example: Acorn squash.
Cocozelle	C. pepo var. ionga	A long, slender summer squash, slightly wider at the end. Example: Cocozelle von tripolis.
Crookneck	C. pepo var. torticollia	A summer squash that is yellow or white, long, and curved at the end. It often has a bumpy skin. Example: Yellow crookneck squash.
Pumpkin	C. pepo var. pepo	A winter squash, usually round or oval. This group includes the pumpkins we see at Halloween.
Scallop	C. pepo var. clypeata	A summer squash that is flat or slightly disc-shaped, with wavy edges. Example: Pattypan squash.
Straightneck	C. pepo var. recticollis	A yellow summer squash with bumpy skin, similar to crookneck but with a straight neck. Example: Yellow summer squash.
Vegetable marrow	C. pepo var. fastigata	Can be a summer or winter squash, cream to dark green, short and round with a slightly wide top. Example: Spaghetti squash.
Zucchini (US) Courgette (UK, IE)	C. pepo var. cylindrica	A very common summer squash, long and cylindrical. Example: Zucchini.
Ornamental gourds	C. pepo var. ovifera	These are not for eating. They are often egg-shaped, pear-shaped, orange, or bumpy.

What Cucurbita Pepo Looks Like

Because of their different backgrounds, C. pepo plants can look very different, especially their fruits. The plants are usually about 1 to 2.5 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide. They have yellow flowers. The pumpkins, scallops, and some crooknecks are very old types that were grown separately. The plants that people grow tend to have bigger fruits but fewer seeds.

Popular Varieties of Cucurbita Pepo

C. pepo includes a wide range of well-known varieties:

Acorn squash
Delicata squash
Dodi marrow, grown in South Asia
Gem squash
Heart of gold squash
Kamo kamo, also called kumi kumi, a special heirloom squash grown by the Māori people of New Zealand
Many types of ornamental squash (often called "gourds")
Pattypan squash
Several types of pumpkin
Spaghetti squash
Sweet dumpling squash
Yellow crookneck squash
Yellow summer squash
Zucchini, also known as courgette

How People Use Cucurbita Pepo

C. pepo is used in many ways. It can be an ingredient in traditional foods like "schumaakwe cakes." Some people use it on the skin for aches and swelling. A paste made from seeds and flowers can be put on cactus scratches.

Fresh squash can be cut into strips and dried for use in winter. The flowers are sometimes cooked and eaten as a special treat. Whole or cut pieces of fresh squash can be roasted in ashes and eaten. The hard shells of gourds can be made into cups, ladles, and dippers. Gourds are also used in dances to represent growth or made into ceremonial rattles. Sometimes, gourds are even used to store special items.