| Menu list goes here |
Herbal Database Search Results
Back
to: Pathways Main Search
Page For Metaphysical uses
visit The Witchs Haven
Cucurbita maxima
| Common name: |
Winter Squash |
Family: |
Cucurbitaceae |
| Author: |
Duchesne. ex Lam. |
Botanical references: |
200 |
| Synonyms: |
Cucurbita maxima turbaniformis ((M.Roem.Alef.), Cucurbita maxima andreana ((Naudin.)Filov.) |
| Known Hazards: |
The sprouting seed produces a toxic substance in its embryo[65]. |
| Range: |
Origin is obscure, possibly derived in cultivation from C. andreana. |
| Habitat: |
Not known in the wild. |
| Edibility Rating (1-5): |
5 | Medicinal Rating (1-5): | 3 |
| Other Possible Synonyms: | From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below. |
| C. andreana[G,P]
C. maxima subsp. andreana[G]
C. maxima subsp. maxima[G]
C. maxima var. maxima[P]
C. maxima var. turbaniformis[G,P]
C. turbaniformis[G]
|
| Other Common Names: | From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below. |
| Abobora Menina [E], Atlantic Giant Pumpkin [H], Banana Squash [H], Chinese Winter Melon [H], Hubbard Squash [H], Japanese Kabocha [H], Kadola [E], Pumpkin [P], Shijar [E], Shijar Askalah [E], Turban Squash [H], Winter Squash [H,B,P], Zapallo [E], |
| Epithets: | From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets |
|
maxima = largest;
|
| Systematics: | From a USDA
Plants Database |
|
Order: Violales. Cucumber family
|
| Other Range Info: |
From the Ethnobotany Database |
|
Brazil; Chile; Hawaii; Iraq; Kurdistan; Malaya; Peru; Venezuela
|
Physical Characteristics
Annual Climber growing to 0.6m by 5m at a fast rate. It is hardy to zone 9 and is frost tender. It is in flower from July to September, and the seeds ripen from August to October. The flowers are monoecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but both sexes can be found on the same plant) and are pollinated by Insects.
The plant is self-fertile.
We rate it 5/5 for edibility and
3/5 for medicinal use.
The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and requires well-drained soil.
The plant prefers acid and neutral soils.
It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade.
It requires moist soil.
Habitats and Possible Locations
Cultivated Beds.Edible Uses
Flowers; Fruit; Leaves; Oil; Seed.
Fruit - cooked[2, 27, 46, 97]. A delicious flavour when baked, rather
like a sweet potato[K]. The flesh can be dried, ground into a powder and used
with cereals in making bread, cakes etc[7, 183]. Some varieties can be stored
for up to 9 months.
Seed - raw or cooked[7, 57, 183]. Rich in oil with a very pleasant nutty
flavour but very fiddly to use because the seed is small and covered with a
fibrous coat[K]. The seed can also be ground into a powder and used with
cereals in making breads etc[183].
An oil is obtained from the seed[21, 86].
Young flowers - raw or cooked[7, 135, 183]. They are often dipped in batter
and fried.
Young leaves and stems - cooked[135, 183]. The leaves contain up to 5%
protein[183].
Medicinal Uses
Disclaimer
Diuretic; Nervine; Poultice; Tonic; Vermifuge.
The seeds are diuretic, tonic and vermifuge[7, 88, 240]. The complete
seed, together with the husk, is used as a vermifuge. This 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[7]. 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[238].
The oil from the seed is used as a nerve tonic[240].
The fruit pulp is used as a soothing poultice on burns, inflammations and
boils[240]. We have a more details factsheet on the history and medicinal use of this plant. Email webmaster@pfaf.org for details.
Other Uses
Cosmetic; Oil.
The seed contains 34 - 54% of a semi-drying oil[61, 86]. Used for
lighting[21].
A nourishing face-mask can be made from the fruit that is effective for dry
skins[7].
Cultivation details
Requires a rich, well-drained moisture retentive soil and a very warm,
sunny and sheltered position[37, 86]. Prefers a pH of 5.5 to 5.9, but
tolerates up to 6.8[86]. Dry periods with a relatively low humidity favour
the best growth[200].
A frost-tender annual plant, it is widely cultivated in tropical and
temperate zones for its edible fruit, there are very many named varieties
differing considerably in their fruits[183]. Most of the winter squashes
derive from this species, including Hubbard, Butternut, Acorn, Argentine and
Boston[86]. Many forms require a temperature range of 20 - 27°c during the
growing season, but there are some forms that tolerate cooler conditions and
these succeed outdoors most years in Britain[200, K]. Most cultivars are
relatively insensitive to day-length[200].
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[132].
This species hybridizes readily with C. andreana but can only be crossed
with other species under controlled conditions[86, 135]. Some modern works
see C. andreana as being no more than a subspecies of this species,
classifying it as C. maxima andreana (Naudin.)Filov.
Grows well with sweetcorn and thornapple but dislikes potatoes[18, 20].
Propagation
Seed - sow early to mid spring 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. 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 if you are trying them outdoors.
Cultivars
- ''
- There are many named varieties of this annual vegetable, with new forms being developed each year. At present there is not time to enter these in the database and it is recommended that you consult the book 'The Fruit and Vegetable Finder' which is updated regularly and can be obtained from libraries.
Suppliers
For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.
Web References
- [H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database
- [E] Ethnobotany Data
(common names, uses, countries) from the Ethnobotany Database.
- [V] Images
from the Vascular Plant Image Gallery of the Texas A&M Bioinformatics Working Group.
- [B] Data
(Latin & Common names, other references) from the BONAP's Synonymized Checklist of the Vascular Flora of the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
- [G] Data
(Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
- [PHARM] Phytochemical Data
(common names, uses, countries) from Dr Duke's Phytochemical Database.
- [P] Data.
(uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.
- [HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database
References for Cucurbita maxima subsp. andreana (a possible synonym).
- [G] Data
(Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
References for Cucurbita maxima subsp. maxima (a possible synonym).
- [G] Data
(Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
References for Cucurbita maxima var. maxima (a possible synonym).
- [P] Data.
(uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.
See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.
Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.
[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
[2] Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972 ISBN 0-486-20459-6
Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.
[7] Chiej. R. Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants. MacDonald 1984 ISBN 0-356-10541-5
Covers plants growing in Europe. Also gives other interesting information on the plants. Good photographs.
[18] Philbrick H. and Gregg R. B. Companion Plants. Watkins 1979
Details of beneficial and antagonistic relationships between neighbouring plants.
[20] Riotte. L. Companion Planting for Successful Gardening. Garden Way, Vermont, USA. 1978 ISBN 0-88266-064-0
Fairly good.
[21] Lust. J. The Herb Book. Bantam books 1983 ISBN 0-553-23827-2
Lots of information tightly crammed into a fairly small book.
[27] Vilmorin. A. The Vegetable Garden. Ten Speed Press ISBN 0-89815-041-8
A reprint of a nineteenth century classic, giving details of vegetable varieties. Not really that informative though.
[37] Thompson. B. The Gardener's Assistant. Blackie and Son. 1878
Excellent general but extensive guide to gardening practices in the 19th century. A very good section on fruits and vegetables with many little known species.
[46] Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
[57] Schery. R. W. Plants for Man.
Fairly readable but not very comprehensive. Deals with plants from around the world.
[61] Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974 ISBN 0094579202
Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.
[65] Frohne. D. and Pfänder. J. A Colour Atlas of Poisonous Plants. Wolfe 1984 ISBN 0723408394
Brilliant. Goes into technical details but in a very readable way. The best work on the subject that I've come across so far.
[86] Organ. J. Gourds. Faber 1963
Deals with squashes and their relatives. Interesting and readable, it gives cultivation techniques and some details of plant uses.
[88] RHS. The Garden. Volume 112. Royal Horticultural Society 1987
Snippets of information from the magazine of the RHS. In particular, there are articles on plants that are resistant to honey fungus, oriental vegetables, Cimicifuga spp, Passiflora species and Cucurbits.
[97] Towle. M. A. The Ethno-Botany of Pre-Columbian Peru.
A very interesting book covering quite a lot of information on plant uses in S. America although many of the plants are not suitable for temperate areas..
[132] Bianchini. F., Corbetta. F. and Pistoia. M. Fruits of the Earth.
Lovely pictures, a very readable book.
[135] ? The Plantsman. Vol.8. 1986 - 1987. Royal Horticultural Society 1986
Excerpts from the periodical giving cultivation details and other notes on some of the useful plants including some Cucurbitaceae.
[183] Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.
[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
[238] Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995 ISBN 0-7513-020-31
A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.
[240] 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
Very terse details of medicinal uses of plants with a wide range of references and details of research into the plants chemistry. Not for the casual reader.
Readers Comments
Back to: Pathways Home page,
Main Search Page
Help
Bibliography
Plant information taken from the
Plants For A Future -
Species Database.
Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
WEB search engine by Rich Morris - Home Page- Contact Info
Blagdon Cross, Ashwater, Beaworthy, Devon, EX21 5DF, UK.
Website: www.pfaf.org Phone: 0845 458 4719/_44(0) 1208 872963 This page (UK) http://www.comp.leeds.ac.uk/cgi-bin/pfaf/arr_html?Cucurbita+maxima
This page (US) http://www.ibiblio.org/pfaf/cgi-bin/arr_html?Cucurbita+maxima
|
This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons License.
(You can copy, distribute, display this works but: Attribution is required, its for Non-Commercial purposes, and it's Share Alike (GNUish/copyleft) i.e. has an identical license.)
We also ask that you let us know (michael@thewitchshaven.com) if
you link to, redistribute, make a derived work or do anything groovy with this information.
|
|
