Cucurbita pepo
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| Cucurbita pepo | |
|---|---|
| Assorted cultivars, from top-left, clockwise: pattypan squash, yellow summer squash, a large zucchini (ormarrow), and pumpkins | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Cucurbitales |
| Family: | Cucurbitaceae |
| Genus: | Cucurbita |
| Species: | C. pepo |
| Binomial name | |
| Cucurbita pepo L. | |
| Subspecies[1] | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
| |
Cucurbita pepo is a cultivated plant of the genus Cucurbita. It yields varieties of winter squash and pumpkin, but the most widespread varieties belong to Cucurbita pepo subsp. pepo, called summer squash.[3]
It has been domesticated in the New World for thousands of years.[4] Some authors maintain that C. pepo is derived from C. texana, while others suggest that C. texana is merely feral C. pepo.[5] They have a wide variety of uses, especially as a food source and for medical conditions. C. pepo seems to more closely related to C. fraterna, though disagreements exist about the exact nature of that connection, too.[6]
Contents
[hide]- 1Taxonomy
- 2Description
- 3Cultivars
- 4Uses
- 5Gallery
- 6References
- 7External links
