Squash (Cucurbita)

Cucurbita (Latin for gourd) is a genus in the family Cucurbitaceae, also known as cucurbits or the gourd family. They are native to South and Central America extending as far north as Mexico.

Five common species produce edible fruit and are known as squash, pumpkins, or gourds, depending on the species and cultivar.

The species that make up the Cucurbita genus include:

• C. argyrosperma (winter squash including Japanese pie pumpkin and silver-seed gourd)
• C. ficifolia (fig-leaf gourd, Malabar gourd, black seed squash)
• C. maxima (winter squash including Hubbard and buttercup, select pumpkins, and various gourds)
• C. moschata (select summer and winter squash and gourds including butternut, crookneck, and Dickson pumpkin).
• C. pepo (most summer squash, most cultivated pumpkins, various gourds, select winter squash varieties)

There are other kinds of gourds that belong to the genus Lagenaria (collectively known as bottle gourds or hard-shell gourds). These are native to Africa.

These herbaceous vines belong to the same family and subfamily as common Cucurbita species, but they are in a different tribe. Some of these other species are edible, but are most often fashioned into utensils, storage vessels, bird houses, or decorations.