Cucurbita maxima

Cucurbita maxima, one of at least five species of cultivated squash, is one of the most diverse domesticated species. This species originated in South America from the wild subspecies Cucurbita maxima subsp. andreana over 4,000 years ago. Cucurbita maxima, known for modern varieties as Hubbard, Delicious, Marblehead, Boston Marrow, and Turks Turban, originated in northern Argentina near the Andes or in certain Andean valleys. Secondary centers of diversity include India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and the southern Appalachians.

Cucurbita maxima
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Cucurbitales
Family: Cucurbitaceae
Genus: Cucurbita
Species:
C. maxima
Binomial name
Cucurbita maxima
Subspecies
  • C. maxima subsp. andreana
  • C. maxima subsp. maxima
Synonyms
  • Cucumis rapallito Carrière
  • Cucumis zapallito Carrière
  • Cucurbita farinae Mozz. ex Naudin
  • Cucurbita maxima var. triloba Millán
  • Cucurbita maxima var. turgida L.H.Bailey
  • Cucurbita maxima var. zapallito (Carrière) Millán
  • Cucurbita maxima var. zipinka Millán
  • Cucurbita pileiformis M.Roem.
  • Cucurbita rapallito Carrière
  • Cucurbita sulcata Blanco
  • Cucurbita turbaniformis M.Roem.
  • Cucurbita zapallito Carrière
  • Pepo maximus Peterm.
  • Pileocalyx elegans Gasp.

Different squash types of this species were introduced into North America as early as the 16th century. By the American Revolution, the species was in cultivation by Native American tribes throughout the present-day United States. By the early 19th century, at least three varieties are known to have been commercially introduced in North America from seeds obtained from Native Americans.

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