Cucurbitaceae Week: Identifying main species of Cucurbita

[Gurcharan Singh]

Dear friends

There are hundreds of cultivars of Cucurbita and species are often difficult to identify. More difficult is the fact that any species can go under the name pumpkin, squash or gourd. Flowers and leaves are not often great help. I am uploading few to show the differences. The species can be identified by the structure of the tip of pedicel where it is attached to the base on fruit.

1. Cucurbita maxima....it is soft and not expanded at tip

2. Cucurbita moschata..it is expanded angular pad, with a small constriction between pad and fruit.

3. Cucurbita pepo: it is expanded with extended fingers firmly attached to fruit.

                    Cucurbita-maxima-Cinderella+pumpkin-California-1

                     Cucurbita-maxima-Kabocha+squash-California-1

                    Cucurbita-maxima-Kabocha+squash-California-1

                      Cucurbita-moschata-Butternut+squash-Califorrnia-5

                     Cucurbita-maxima-Cinderella+pumpkin-California-1

                     Cucurbita-pepo-Zucchini-California-1

-- 
Dr. Gurcharan Singh
Retired  Associate Professor
SGTB Khalsa College, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007
Res: 932 Anand Kunj, Vikas Puri, New Delhi-110018.
Phone: 011-25518297  Mob: 9810359089
http://people.du.ac.in/~singhg45/ 

[Rathinasabapathy Bhuvaragasamy]

Thank you sir, fro the brief introduction with nice photos.

BRS

--
B. Rathinasabapathy
Project Co-ordinator
Nilgiri Biosphere Nature Park
1388, Avinashi Road
Peelamedu
Coimbatore-641004

[Dinesh Valke]

Thank you very much Gurcharan ji for these illustrations.
I remember you had already provided it earlier - these are simple and useful.
Regards.
Dinesh

[Balkar Singh]

Very nice and informative shots Sir

--
Regards

Dr Balkar Singh
Head, Deptt. of Botany and Biotechnology
Arya P G College, Panipat
Haryana-132103
09416262964

[Dinesh Valke]

Gurcharan ji,

Please re-clarify the following:

1) The name for 3rd picture; Cucurbita-maxima-Kabocha+squash-California-1 ... would it be Cucurbita moschata ... can see angular pad, with a small constriction between pad and fruit
2) The name for second-last picture: Cucurbita-maxima-Cinderella+pumpkin-California-1 ... would it be Cucurbita pepo ... can see extended fingers


Regards.
Dinesh

[Gurcharan Singh]

Thanks Dinesh  ji for pointing out.Yes it is; third picture is:

Cucurbita-moschata-butternut+squash-California-3

A mistake in copy pasting and editing.

-- 

PS: Please bear with missing j in text, culprit keyboard of my make shift laptop

Dr. Gurcharan Singh
Retired  Associate Professor
SGTB Khalsa College, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007
Res: 932 Anand Kunj, Vikas Puri, New Delhi-110018.
Phone: 011-25518297  Mob: 9810359089

http://www.gurcharanfamily.com/ 
http://people.du.ac.in/~singhg45/ 

[Gurcharan Singh]

Dinesh i

I have made the necessary changes. Thanks for pointing out.

-- 
Dr. Gurcharan Singh
Retired  Associate Professor
SGTB Khalsa College, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007
Res: 932 Anand Kunj, Vikas Puri, New Delhi-110018.
Phone: 011-25518297  Mob: 9810359089
http://people.du.ac.in/~singhg45/  

On Monday, April 2, 2012 9:30:43 AM UTC+5:30, Gurcharan Singh wrote:

Dear friends

There are hundreds of cultivars of Cucurbita and species are often difficult to identify. More difficult is the fact that any species can go under the name pumpkin, squash or gourd. Flowers and leaves are not often great help. I am uploading few to show the differences. The species can be identified by the structure of the tip of pedicel where it is attached to the base on fruit.

1. Cucurbita maxima....it is soft and not expanded at tip

2. Cucurbita moschata..it is expanded angular pad, with a small constriction between pad and fruit.

3. Cucurbita pepo: it is expanded with extended fingers firmly attached to fruit.

                    Cucurbita-maxima-Cinderella+pumpkin-California-1

                     Cucurbita-maxima-Kabocha+squash-California-1

         Cucurbita-moschata-butternut+squash-California-3

                      Cucurbita-moschata-Butternut+squash-Califorrnia-5

         Cucurbita-pepo-Pumpkin-California-1

                     Cucurbita-pepo-Zucchini-California-1

[Nidhan Singh]

Thanks Sir for putting up this information with beautiful illustrations.... a great help..

--
Regards,

Dr. Nidhan Singh
Department of Botany
I.B. (PG) College
Panipat-132103 Haryana
Ph.: 09416371227

[ushadi Micromini]

Thanks all, Dinesh and Gurcharanji for resolving this..
like you said its one of the most confusing vegetable group to classify...
Thanks...
Usha di
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Usha di
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