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Pumpkin

For other uses, see Pumpkin (disambiguation).

A pile of pumpkins at the French Market in New Orleans, Louisiana
A variety of pumpkin cultivars. The central and rightmost orange fruits are Cucurbita pepo, all others are Cucurbita maxima
A field of giant pumpkins

A pumpkin is a cultivated winter squash in the genus Cucurbita.[1][2] The term is most commonly applied to round, orange-colored squash varieties, but does not possess a scientific definition. It may be used in reference to many different squashes of varied appearance and belonging to multiple species in the Cucurbita genus.[3]

The use of the word "pumpkin" is thought to have originated in New England in North America, derived from a word for melon, or a native word for round. The term is sometimes used interchangeably with "squash" or "winter squash", and is commonly used for some cultivars of Cucurbita argyrosperma, Cucurbita ficifolia, Cucurbita maxima, Cucurbita moschata, and Cucurbita pepo.[1]

C. pepo pumpkins are among the oldest known domesticated plants, with evidence of their cultivation dating to between 7000 BCE and 5500 BCE. Wild species of Cucurbita and the earliest domesticated species are native to North America (parts of present-day northeastern Mexico and the southern United States), but cultivars are now grown globally for culinary, decorative, and other culturally-specific purposes.[4]

The pumpkin's thick shell contains edible seeds and pulp. Pumpkin pie is a traditional part of Thanksgiving meals in Canada and the United States and pumpkins are frequently used as autumnal seasonal decorations and carved as jack-o'-lanterns for decoration around Halloween. Commercially canned pumpkin purée and pie fillings are usually made of different pumpkin varieties from those intended for decorative use.[5]

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Ferriol was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ United States Agricultural Research Service. Crops Research Division (1969). Growing pumpkins and squashes [Rev. June 1969. National Agricultural Library U. S. Department of Agriculture. Washington, U.S. Govt. Print. Off.
  3. ^ "Horticulture Questions and Answers". Garden Help FAQ. Missouri Botanical Garden.
  4. ^ Wolford, Ron; Banks, Drusilla (2008). "Pumpkins and More". University of Illinois Extension. Retrieved February 19, 2008.
  5. ^ Hui, Y. H; Ghazala, Sue; Graham, Dee M; Murrell, K.D; Nip, Wai-Kit, eds. (September 12, 2003). "Canned Vegetables: Product Descriptions". Handbook of Vegetable Preservation and Processing. CRC Press. pp. 163–191. doi:10.1201/9780203912911. ISBN 9780203912911.

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