Practical
Plants

Cucurbita argyrosperma

Cushaw Pumpkin

an annual member of the Cucurbita genus in the family Cucurbitaceae.

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Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
annual
Fertility
self fertile
Flower type
monoecious
Pollinators
Insects

Uses

Toxicity

Toxicity warning. The historical record reports a hazard for this plant. Do not use it to decide which parts are safe to eat or use medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The sprouting seed produces a toxic substance in its embryo[8].

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Fruit - cooked[1][4]. Used as a vegetable in pies etc, it can be stored for up to 6 months. Generally the fruit is fibrousy, watery and less richly flavoured than C. maxima., C. moschata. and C. pepo[5]. The flesh can be dried, ground into a powder and mixed with cereals for making bread, cakes etc[5]. The fruit is up to 20cm in diameter[6]. Seed - raw, roasted or dried, ground into a powder and mixed with cereals when making bread etc[5]. The seed is rich in oil and has a pleasant nutty flavour. Although relatively large[5], they are very fiddly to use because they are covered with a fibrous coat[K]. An edible oil is obtained from the seed[5]. Leaves - cooked[3]. Flowers - cooked[3][5].

Plant part
Flowers
Plant part
Fruit
Plant part
Leaves
Product or use
Oil
Plant part
Seed

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The seeds are vermifuge[9][11]. The complete seed, together with the husk, is used. This is ground into a fine flour, then made into an emulsion with water and eaten. It is then necessary to take a purgative afterwards in order to expel the tapeworms or other parasites from the body[9]. As a remedy for internal parasites, the seeds are less potent than the root of Dryopteris felix-mas, but they are safer for pregnant women, debilitated patients and children[7].

Product or use
Vermifuge

Ecology and functions

Ecosystem niche
Climber

Environment

Range
C. America? Origin is uncertain.
Habitat
Not known in the wild[3].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 9+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - sow early to mid spring in a greenhouse in a rich soil. Germination should take place within 2 weeks. Sow 2 or 3 seeds per pot and thin out to the best plant. Grow them on fast and plant out after the last expected frosts, giving them cloche or frame protection for at least their first few weeks if you are trying them outdoors.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Requires a rich, well-drained moisture retentive soil and a very warm, sunny and sheltered position[1]. Plants are tolerant of high temperatures but sensitive to cool conditions, they favour moderate rainfall but the roots are sensitive to water-logging[6]. A frost-tender annual plant, the Cushaw pumpkin has long been cultivated for its edible fruit especially in warmer temperate and tropical areas. There are some named varieties[5] and these are day-length neutral[6]. Plants can succeed outdoors in Britain in most summers so long as they are started off early in a greenhouse and grown on quickly. Over time, various more or less distinct groups of cultivars have been developed and these have been classified by botanists as detailed below. Since they all have similar requirements, and it can be rather difficult to classify some varieties, we have dealt with them all here and not given them separate entries. C. argyrosperma. The Cushaw pumpkin, as dealt with in this entry. It is subdivided into:- C. argyrosperma argyrosperma. The silver-seed gourd. Cultivated mainly for its edible seeds which are larger than in other forms with an attractive silvery edge. C. argyrosperma callicarpa. Japanese pie pumpkin or green-stripe cushaw. C. argyrosperma stenosperma. Cultivated in Mexico, we do not know of a common name. This species does not hybridize naturally with other members of this genus, though crosses have been made under controlled conditions[10][3]. Squashes and pumpkins can be differentiated from each other by their fruit stalk, it is angular and polygonal in pumpkins but thick, soft and round in squashes[2]. This species is included in C. moschata by some botanists[10].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  2. Bianchini. F., Corbetta. F. and Pistoia. M. Fruits of the Earth.

    ↩

  3. ? The Plantsman. Vol.8. 1986 - 1987. Royal Horticultural Society 1986-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  4. Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169

    ↩

  5. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6↩7

  6. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3

  7. Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995-00-00 ISBN 0-7513-020-31

    ↩

  8. Frohne. D. and Pf�nder. J. A Colour Atlas of Poisonous Plants. Wolfe 1984-00-00 ISBN 0723408394

    ↩

  9. Chiej. R. Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants. MacDonald 1984-00-00 ISBN 0-356-10541-5

    ↩1↩2

  10. Organ. J. Gourds. Faber 1963-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  11. RHS. The Garden. Volume 112. Royal Horticultural Society 1987-00-00

    ↩

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