The differences between pumpkins, squashes and gourds can be confusing
and it is sometimes difficult to tell them apart. Their names are often used
interchangeably. So what are the differences between them?
The Cucurbitaceae family includes vegetables such as cucumber, melon, and watermelon. Plants bear palmately lobed, alternate, and simple leaves and have spiraling
tendrils. They have yellow flowers and
their fruits are specialized berries called pepos, which can grow very large.
Hubbard squash, buttercup squash and some prize pumpkins
belong to the C.maxima species. The cushaw squash belongs to C.mixta, whilst
the butternut squash belongs to C.moschata.
Most pumpkins, acorn squash, summer squash and courgette (zucchini)
belong to the C.pepo species.
All pumpkins are squashes, but not all squashes are pumpkins. Gourds are from the same family as squashes.
Squashes
Within
squash it is useful to differentiate between summer and winter types. The summer types are fast maturing, have soft rinds, are consumed when the fruit is immature, and are quite perishable. They include yellow squash, Courgette and scallop squash.
On the other hand, the winter squash take longer to mature, one hundred days versus fifty days, have a long storage life, several months versus two weeks, are consumed when the fruits and seeds are fully mature, and have durable rinds
Pumpkins
A pumpkin is a squash that belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family. Native to North America, it commonly refers
to any one of the species Cucurbita maxima, Cucurbita pepo and Cucurbita
moschata.
Pumpkins generally weigh 4-8 kg (9-18 lbs), but the largest species
Cucurbitia maxima can reach huge proportions of over 34 kg (75 llbs). They vary
in shape from oblong to oblate. They are smooth and lightly ribbed, creased
from stem to the bottom.
The C.pepo species is usually recognized as the true
pumpkin. Varieties within this group are often used for jack o lanteen
halloween celebrations as they have bright orange skin and hard, woody,
distinctly furrowed stems.
Guords
A gourd is
a plant of the family Cucurbitaceae. Gourd is occasionally used to describe crops like cucumbers, squash, luffas, and melons. The term gourd, however, can more specifically refer to the plants of the two Cucurbitaceae genera Lagenaria and Cucurbita or also to their hollow, dried-out shell.
Normally they are inedible due to a lack of flesh and/or bad taste, although some varieties such as the snake gourd can be eaten.
For related articles click onto:
What is a broccoflower?
How to grow melons in pots
