Cucurbita pepo
Courgette · Zucchini · Squash
a vegetable vine or creeper of the Cucurbita genus in the family Cucurbitaceae. A common vegetable crop worldwide, providing a bounty of fruit in summer.
Taxonomy and growth
- Family
- Cucurbitaceae
- Genus
- Cucurbita
- Life cycle
- annual
- Growth rate
- vigorous
- Height
- 0.6 m
- Spread
- 5 m
- Fertility
- self fertile
- Flower type
- monoecious
- Flower colours
- orange, yellow
- 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.
The sprouting seed produces a toxic substance in its embryo[22].
Edible uses
Fruit - cooked[10][18][20][2]. Used as a vegetable, it has a very mild flavour and is very watery[K]. It is often harvested when still very young when it is called courgettes. The fruit has very little flavour of its own and so is often used as a base for making savoury dishes, the seeds being scooped out of the fruit and a filling being put in its place - this can then be baked[K]. A nutritional analysis is available[14]. Seed - raw or cooked[21][24][9]. The seed can also be ground into a powder and mixed with cereals for making bread etc[9]. Rich in oil with a pleasant nutty flavour but very fiddly to use because the seed is small and covered with a fibrous coat[K]. A nutritional analysis is available[14]. The seeds can also be sprouted and used in salads etc[9]. Some caution is advised here, see notes above on toxicity. An edible oil is obtained from the seed[20][2][3][9]. Leaves and young stems - cooked as a potherb[5][9]. A nutritional analysis is available[14]. Flowers and flower buds - cooked or dried for later use[5][9]. A nutritional analysis is available[14]. Root - cooked[7]. We have some doubts on this report[K].
- Plant part
- Flowers
- Preparation
- Raw, Cooked, Dried
- Product or use
- Vegetable
- Plant part
- Fruit
- Preparation
- Raw, Cooked
- Product or use
- Vegetable
- Plant part
- Seed
- Product or use
- Oil
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.
The pumpkin has been much used as a medicine in Central and North America. It is a gentle and safe remedy for a number of complaints, especially as an effective tapeworm remover for children and pregnant women for whom stronger acting and toxic remedies are unsuitable[17]. The seeds are mildly diuretic and vermifuge[23][25][17]. The complete seed, together with the husk, is used to remove tapeworms. The seed 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[23]. 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[15]. The seed is used to treat hypertrophy of the prostate[14]. The seed is high in zinc and has been used successfully in the early stages of prostate problems[17]. The diuretic action has been used in the treatment of nephritis and other problems of the urinary system[17]. The leaves are applied externally to burns[16]. The sap of the plant and the pulp of the fruit can also be used[17]. The fruit pulp is used as a decoction to relieve intestinal inflammation[17].
- Product or use
- Anthelmintic
- Product or use
- Miscellany
- Product or use
- Poultice
Material uses
The seed contains 34 - 54% of a semi-drying oil. Used for lighting[20].
- Product or use
- Oil
Ecology and functions
- Ecosystem niche
- Climber
Environment
- Range
- C. America? The origin is obscure[24].
- Habitat
- Not known in the wild.
- Light
- full sun
- Shade tolerance
- light shade
- Water
- moderate
- Hardiness
- Zone 10+
- Soil textures
- sandy, loamy, clay
- Soil pH
- acid, neutral, alkaline
- Drainage
- well drained
- Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
- No
- Drought
- intolerant
Propagation
Seed - sow April 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. The seed requires a minimum temperature of 13°c to germinate[12]. 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 outdoors until they are growing strongly.
Cultivation
Requires a rich, well-drained moisture retentive soil and a very warm, sunny and sheltered position[1][6][19][24]. Prefers a pH of 5.5 to 5.9, but tolerates up to 6.8[24]. Plants are tolerant of light shade[24] (This comment is probably more applicable to warmer climates than Britain[K].). A frost-tender annual plant, the pumpkin or marrow is widely cultivated in temperate and tropical zones for its edible fruit. It has long been grown as a domestic plant and a number of different groups have been developed. Botanists have tried to classify these groups, though there is considerable overlap and clear distinctions are not always possible. Since they are very similar in their cultivation needs, we have treated all the groups together in this entry. The botanists classification is as follows:- C. pepo pepo. This includes the vegetable marrows, zucchinis, pumpkins and ornamental gourds. There are many named varieties and these can vary considerably in size, shape and flavour[18][9][12]. The cultivars with larger and rounder fruits are usually called pumpkins, the fruits are harvested in the autumn and can be stored for a few months. The marrows are smaller than pumpkins and generally sausage-shaped. These can also be harvested in the autumn and stored for a few months, but it is more usual to eat them whilst they are still very small, when they are known as courgettes. Harvesting the fruits of the marrows when very small stimulates the plant into making more flowers (and hence fruits) so it can be a very productive way of using the plant. Pumpkins and marrows succeed outdoors most summers in Britain[18], in fact many of these varieties are well adapted to cool growing conditions and therefore do well in the British climate[12]. C. pepo pepo fraterna. This is the probable progenitor of the marrows and so is of potential value in any breeding programmes. C. pepo ovifera. This group includes various summer squashes including the acorn, crookneck and patty pan squashes. C. pepo ovifera ozarkana. A probable ancestor of the summer squashes, it could be of value in breeding programmes. C. pepo texana. The texas gourd, or wild marrow, is another form that could be of value in breeding programmes. Plants produce both male and female flowers. These are insect pollinated but in cool weather it is worthwhile hand pollinating[12]. Most cultivars are day-length neutral and so are able to flower and fruit throughout the British summer[12]. A fast-growing plant, trailing forms can be used to provide a summer screen[24]. This species does not hybridize naturally with other edible members of this genus[5]. 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[4]. Pumpkins grow well with sweetcorn and thornapple but they dislike growing near potatoes[8][11][13]. They also grow well with nasturtiums, mint, beans and radishes[13].
Crops
Fruit
The fruit of C. pepo can be harvested when young when it is commonly referred to as a Courgette or Zucchini, or more generally a Summer Squash, or can be left to mature until it forms a thick skin and harvested at the end of the growing season, when it is commonly referred to as a Pumpkin or Winter Squash. Various cultivars have been bred to be harvested at a specific size. See cultivars for more details.
References
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Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976-00-00
Rosengarten. jnr. F. The Book of Edible Nuts. Walker & Co. 1984-00-00 ISBN 0802707699
Bianchini. F., Corbetta. F. and Pistoia. M. Fruits of the Earth.
? The Plantsman. Vol.8. 1986 - 1987. Royal Horticultural Society 1986-00-00
Simons. New Vegetable Growers Handbook. Penguin 1977-00-00 ISBN 0-14-046-050-0
Reid. B. E. Famine Foods of the Chiu-Huang Pen-ts'ao. Taipei. Southern Materials Centre 1977-00-00
Philbrick H. and Gregg R. B. Companion Plants. Watkins 1979-00-00
Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20459-6
Riotte. L. Companion Planting for Successful Gardening. Garden Way, Vermont, USA. 1978-00-00 ISBN 0-88266-064-0
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Allardice.P. A - Z of Companion Planting. Cassell Publishers Ltd. 1993-00-00 ISBN 0-304-34324-2
Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. Medicinal Plants of China Reference Publications, Inc. 1985-00-00 ISBN 0-917256-20-4
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Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement). Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi. 1986-00-00
Chevallier. A. The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants Dorling Kindersley. London 1996-00-00 ISBN 9-780751-303148
Vilmorin. A. The Vegetable Garden. Ten Speed Press ISBN 0-89815-041-8
Thompson. B. The Gardener's Assistant. Blackie and Son. 1878-00-00
Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959-00-00
Schery. R. W. Plants for Man.
Frohne. D. and Pf�nder. J. A Colour Atlas of Poisonous Plants. Wolfe 1984-00-00 ISBN 0723408394
Chiej. R. Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants. MacDonald 1984-00-00 ISBN 0-356-10541-5
Organ. J. Gourds. Faber 1963-00-00
RHS. The Garden. Volume 112. Royal Horticultural Society 1987-00-00
Hickery Holler Farm [ineapple Zucchini] (2013/03/11)