It's pumpkin season and the patches are full of unusuals. The question is what are they, pumpkin, squash or gourd and does it have a name. Fact is they're all squash from the Cucurbita family. The differences are in the stems and the color of the four species in this family, and they do all have individual names.
Pumpkin is a term which originated from the early settlers. It was derived from the word 'pepo' a species of Cucurbita. The characteristics consist of a thick woody furrowed stem with a round melon shape and orange skin. This was probably the first and only variety of winter squash they knew. Although there are numerous other varieties in this species now, these characteristics are referred to as the true pumpkin, jack-o-lantern, carving pumpkin, halloween pumpkin and more.
Gourd is also a term used for the more inedible hard rinded fruits of all species of the Cucurbita family, or it might be better understood as a mutated fruit of these plants.
Squash is the true common name of all Cucurbita, their species and varirties.
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WINTER SQUASH - Cucurbita 'maxima'
