Cucurbitaceae

John Navazio
Organic Seed Alliance

Cucurbitaceae

114 Genera
500 Species
Mostly monoecious and some dioecious
Mostly tropical or sub-tropical
All genera (except 1) tendril bearing vines
Corolla yellow or greenish is ephemeral
Five petals, male flowers usually 3 stamens
Female flowers w inferior ovaries w 3 carpels
Fleshy berry or pepo, from one to many seeds

Cucurbitaceae

Cucumis sativus cucumber

Cucumis melo melon
Citrullus lanatus watermelon
Cucurbita pepo summer squash, acorns, Jack
O lanterns, Delicatas, patty pans
Cucurbita pepo subsp. ovifera-yellow flw. gourds
Cucurbita maxima Hubbards, Buttercups
Cucurbita moschata Butternuts
Cucurbita argyrosperma most cushaws
Lagenaria siceraria white flowered gourds

The genus Cucumis

Cucumis sativus true cucumber

Cucumis melo melons (following types)
Reticulatus groupmuskmelon, nutmeg m.
Inodorus group honeydew, casaba
Flexuosus group Armenian cucumber
Dudaim group Queen Annes pocket m.
Chito group vine peach, melon apple
Conomon group Freeman cucumber
Cantalupensis group true cantaloupes

Cucurbita pepo
Pre-Columbian naturalization from Mexico
to Southern Canada
Includes all summer squash from patty
pans, zucchini, yellow squash/crooknecks
USA natives; Delicata types, Acorn types
Jack O Lantern pumpkins most have
true Halloween orange color

Cucurbita maxima
Originally from the Andean highlands
Adapted to Moderate daytime temperature
and cool nighttime temperatures
Can produce the largest fruit on Earth
Includes all Hubbard and Buttercup types
All Japanese Kabocha/Hokkaido types
Includes the large show pumpkins like
Atlantic Giant, Hungarian Mammouth,
which all have a milky orange color

Cucurbita moschata and

C. argyrosperma
Both species originated in the lowlands of
Central America and Mexico
Adapted to high daytime temperature and warm
nighttime temperatures
Fruit are very late maturing!
C. moschata includes all Butternut types and
many cheese pumpkins
C. argyrosperma (formerly C. mixta) include
many of the cushaws.
These two spp. are very hard to tell apart!

Hand Pollination of Cucurbits

Close off both female and male flowers
the night before w tape or capsules
Delicately open them just as neededwhen
pollen is shedding in the morning
Discard any flowers w insects inside!
Sib-mate if possible, use several males
for each female to increase your chances
Mark fruit w plastic tag/use black Sharpee