Cucurbitaceae

1
Cucurbitaceae

• John Navazio
• Organic Seed Alliance

2
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

3
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

4
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

5
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

6
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

7
Cucurbita moschata andC. 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!

8
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