Cucurbita ficifolia

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Cucurbita ficifolia
Cucurbita ficifolia Courge de Siam.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Cucurbitales
Family: Cucurbitaceae
Genus: Cucurbita
Species:
C. ficifolia
Binomial name
Cucurbita ficifolia
Bouché
Synonyms [1]
  • Cucurbita melanosperma A.Braun ex Gasp.
  • Cucurbita mexicana Dammann
  • Pepo ficifolia (Bouché) Britton
  • Pepo malabaricus Sageret

Cucurbita ficifolia is a species of squash, grown for its edible seeds, fruit, and greens. [2] It has common names including Asian pumpkin, black seed squash, chilacayote, cidra, fig-leaf gourd, and Malabar gourd. Compared to other domesticated species in its genus, investigators have noted that samples of C. ficifolia from throughout its range are relatively similar to one other in morphology and genetic composition. Variations do occur in fruit and seed color, some isozymes, and photoperiod sensitivity. [3]

Contents

This species is grown widely from Argentina and Chile to Mexico. It is also cultivated in regions of the world including India, Japan, Korea, China, the Philippines, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, and Angola. [3] [4]

No named agricultural cultivars have been recognized. Research suggests that C. ficifolia represents an earlier evolutionary branch than the other major cultivated Cucurbita species, but biosystematic investigations have established that C. ficifolia is not as distinct from the other domesticated Cucurbita species as early botanists had concluded. It has been noted to form interspecific hybrids with Cucurbita maxima , Cucurbita moschata , and Cucurbita pepo . [3] Interspecific hybrids have generally been infertile beyond the first generation unless techniques such as embryo cultivation are used. [5]

Common names

Description

Early botanical keys described Cucurbita ficifolia as a perennial that is grown as an annual in temperate climates. More recent investigations have found that C. ficifolia is an annual that does not differ in longevity from the other annual domesticated Cucurbita species. As with these other annual species, C. ficifolia can have a vine habit that can root at the nodes. Provided proper conditions including a frost-free climate, it can grow for an indefinite amount of time in this manner. [15] [3] [5] The plant stem can grow five to fifteen meters and produces tendrils that help it climb adjacent plants and structures. Its leaves resemble fig leaves, hence its Latin species name ficifolia, which means fig leaf.

The plant is monoecious with imperfect flowers (meaning its flowers are either male or female but both sexes can be found on the same plant) and are pollinated by insects, especially bees. The color of the flowers is yellow to orange.

In contrast to other domesticated Cucurbita that have highly variable fruit, the fruit of C. ficifolia is uniform in size, shape, and color. The fruit is always oval, resembling a watermelon. [15] This species is the only Curcubita to have black seeds, but some C. ficifolia also have dark brown or buff colored seeds that are similar to other species in the genus. [3] The fruit is oblong with a diameter of eight inches or 20 centimeters, weighs eleven to 13 pounds (5 to 6 kilograms), and can produce up to 500 seeds. Its skin can vary from light or dark green to cream. One plant can produce over 50 fruit. The fruit can last without decomposing for several years if kept dry after harvest.

Non-morphological indications of genetic diversity within the species include its cultivation across a wide geographic range, where altitude is one of the only conditions that is consistent. Another reflection of genetic diversity is that C. ficifolia is grown in a variety of agricultural systems ranging from high competition such as in heavy rain maize fields, to less competitive and more intensive cultivation such as dry season maize fields, vegetable gardens, and commercial agricultural plots. Variations in productivity may also reflect genetic diversity within the species. [5]

Origin and distribution

It is native to the Americas, although the exact center of domestication is unclear. Linguistic evidence suggests Mexico, because of the wide use of names based on the Nahuatl name "chilacayohtli" as far south as Argentina. However, archaeological evidence suggests Peru because the earliest remains have been found there. Biosystematics has been unable to confirm either hypothesis. [16]

Archeological records show that it was once the most widespread variety of Cucurbita in the Americas, cultivated from northern Chile and Argentina northwest to Mexico. [17] C. ficifolia is believed to have spread first from South America to the Malabar Coast of India in the 16th and 17th centuries before later reaching Europe. Some of its common names including Asian pumpkin, Malabar gourd, Siam squash, and Thai marrow reflect this route of dispersal to Europe. [3]

Cultivation

The fig-leaved gourd grows in temperate highlands at elevations up to 2,000 metres (6,600 ft). [18] It is often used as a grafting rootstock for other less resistant cucurbits. C. ficifolia can be propagated through planting seeds and by layering. Nodes can grow roots, [4] and can propagate new plants once cut.[ citation needed ] It is not resistant to severe frosts. [5] [15]

Uses

Culinary

Shell and flesh

The immature fruit is eaten cooked, while the mature fruit is sweet and used to make confectionaries and beverages, [19] sometimes alcoholic. [20] The fruit is low in beta-carotene, as can be seen from its white flesh, and is relatively low in vitamins and minerals, and moderately high in carbohydrates.[ citation needed ]

In Spain this squash is used to make a jam known as "cabello de ángel" (angel's hair), "cabell d'àngel" in Catalan, that is used to fill pies, sweets and confectionery. In Portugal, where the fruit is known as "chila" or "gila", the jam is known as "doce de gila", is used extensively in the production of traditional Portuguese sweets and confectionery. [21]

In Chile jam is often made out of the fruit. In Costa Rica, it is traditional to make empanadas stuffed with sugared filling at Easter time.

In Honduras, particularly in the city of Siguatepeque, it is cooked, and made into confectionary called alcitrón.

In Asia, the pulp strands are used to make soup, quite similar to shark fin soup, hence the name "shark's fin melon". The cultivation and this usage feature briefly in the film Grow Your Own .[ citation needed ]

Seeds

The most nutritional part of Cucurbita ficifolia is its fat- and protein-rich seeds.Cilacayote seeds are used in Mexico to make palanquetas, a sweet similar to peanut brittle. [5]

Flowers, leaves, and shoots

The flowers, leaves and tender shoots are used in Mexico and other countries as greens. [5]

Medicinal

Across Asia, eating Cucurbita ficifolia is said to help people with diabetes. Several scientific studies have confirmed its hypoglycemic effect. [10] It is used effectively to treat diabetes due to its high D-Chiro-Inositol content. [22] [19]

Animal feed

The vine and fruit are used for fodder.[ citation needed ] In Portugal, it has been used to feed pigs.[ citation needed ]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cucurbitaceae</span> Family of plants

The Cucurbitaceae, also called cucurbits or the gourd family, are a plant family consisting of about 965 species in around 95 genera. Those most important to humans are the following:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gourd</span> Type of fruit

Gourds include the fruits of some flowering plant species in the family Cucurbitaceae, particularly Cucurbita and Lagenaria. The term refers to a number of species and subspecies, many with hard shells, and some without. One of the earliest domesticated types of plants, subspecies of the bottle gourd, Lagenaria siceraria, have been discovered in archaeological sites dating from as early as 13,000 BCE. Gourds have had numerous uses throughout history, including as tools, musical instruments, objects of art, film, and food.

<i>Cucurbita</i> Genus of herbaceous vines in the gourd family, Cucurbitaceae

Cucurbita is a genus of herbaceous fruits in the gourd family, Cucurbitaceae, native to the Andes and Mesoamerica. Five edible species are grown and consumed for their flesh and seeds. They are variously known as squash, pumpkin, or gourd, depending on species, variety, and local parlance. Other kinds of gourd, also called bottle-gourds, are native to Africa and belong to the genus Lagenaria, which is in the same family and subfamily as Cucurbita, but in a different tribe. These other gourds are used as utensils or vessels, and their young fruits are eaten much like those of the Cucurbita species.

<i>Cucurbita pepo</i> Species of flowering plant that yields varieties of squash and pumpkin

Cucurbita pepo is a cultivated plant of the genus Cucurbita. It yields varieties of winter squash and pumpkin, but the most widespread varieties belong to the subspecies Cucurbita pepo subsp. pepo, called summer squash.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zucchini</span> Edible summer squash

The zucchini, courgette or baby marrow is a summer squash, a vining herbaceous plant whose fruit are harvested when their immature seeds and epicarp (rind) are still soft and edible. It is closely related, but not identical, to the marrow; its fruit may be called marrow when mature.

Straightneck squash is a cultivated variety of Cucurbita pepo grown as a type of summer squash that is usually yellow-colored. It is also known as yellow squash, though other squashes, such as crookneck squash, may also be known by that name. It has mildly sweet and watery flesh, and thin tender skins that can be left on the fruit for many types of recipes. It was almost certainly domesticated in the eastern United States, although other variants of the same species were domesticated in Mesoamerica. This squash grows on vined plants reaching 60–90 cm (2.0–3.0 ft) in height that thrive in mild weather. It is well known as an item in American cooking where it is fried, microwaved, steamed, boiled, or baked. It is often used in recipes interchangeably with zucchini. A good yellow summer squash will be small and firm with tender skin free of blemishes and bruising. It is available all year long in some regions, but is at its peak from early through late summer. One similar inedible C. pepo variety is C. pepo var. ovifera.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eastern Agricultural Complex</span> Agricultural practices of pre-historic native cultures in the eastern United States and Canada

The Eastern Agricultural Complex in the woodlands of eastern North America was one of about 10 independent centers of plant domestication in the pre-historic world. Incipient agriculture dates back to about 5300 BCE. By about 1800 BCE the Native Americans of the woodlands were cultivating several species of food plants, thus beginning a transition from a hunter-gatherer economy to agriculture. After 200 BCE when maize from Mexico was introduced to the Eastern Woodlands, the Native Americans of the eastern United States and adjacent Canada slowly changed from growing local indigenous plants to a maize-based agricultural economy. The cultivation of local indigenous plants other than squash and sunflower declined and was eventually abandoned. The formerly domesticated plants returned to their wild forms.

<i>Cucurbita moschata</i> Species of flowering plant

Cucurbita moschata is a species originating in either Central America or northern South America. It includes cultivars known as squash or pumpkin. C. moschata cultivars are generally more tolerant of hot, humid weather than cultivars of C. maxima or C. pepo. They also generally display a greater resistance to disease and insects, especially to the squash vine borer. Commercially made pumpkin pie mix is most often made from varieties of C. moschata. The ancestral species of the genus Cucurbita were present in the Americas before the arrival of humans. No species within the genus is fully genetically isolated from all the other species. C. moschata can be hybridized with all other species. It has been suggested that this shows that the species of Cucurbita have diversified more recently than those of related genera such as Cucumis and Citrullus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Squash bee</span> Bees essential for cucurbit pollination


The name squash bee, also squash and gourd bee, is applied to two related genera of bees in the tribe Eucerini; Peponapis and Xenoglossa. Both genera are oligoleges on the plant genus Cucurbita and closely related plants, although they usually do not visit watermelon, cucumber, and melon plants. They are small genera, containing only 13 and 7 described species, respectively, and their combined range is nearly identical to the range of Cucurbita in the New World, from South America to North America. Their range has become somewhat expanded along with the movement of cucurbits into other areas.

<i>Cucurbita foetidissima</i> Species of flowering plant

Cucurbita foetidissima is a tuberous xerophytic plant found in the central and southwestern United States and northern Mexico. It has numerous common names, including: buffalo gourd, calabazilla, chilicote, coyote gourd, fetid gourd, fetid wild pumpkin, Missouri gourd, prairie gourd, stinking gourd, wild gourd, and wild pumpkin. The type specimen was collected from Mexico by Alexander von Humboldt and Aimé Bonpland sometime before 1817. In Latin, foetidissima means ill smelling.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Winter squash</span> Squash harvested and eaten in mature stage; skin hardened into tough rind

Winter squash is an annual fruit representing several squash species within the genus Cucurbita. Late-growing, less symmetrical, odd-shaped, rough or warty varieties, small to medium in size, but with long-keeping qualities and hard rinds, are usually called winter squash. They differ from summer squash in that they are harvested and eaten in the mature stage when their seeds within have matured fully and their skin has hardened into a tough rind. At this stage, most varieties of this vegetable can be stored for use during the winter. Winter squash is generally cooked before being eaten, and the skin or rind is not usually eaten as it is with summer squash.

<i>Cucurbita maxima</i> Species of squash

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.

<i>Cucurbita palmata</i> Species of flowering plant

Cucurbita palmata is a species of flowering plant in the squash family known by the common names coyote melon and coyote gourd. It is similar to Cucurbita californica, Cucurbita cordata, Cucurbita cylindrata, and Cucurbita digitata and all these species hybridize readily. It was first identified by Sereno Watson in 1876. These species form the only restricted xerophyte species group in the genus Cucurbita. Each member of this species group is native to the Southwestern United States and Northwestern Mexico where they are relatively uncommon. Each group member is found in hot, arid regions with low rainfall. They prefer soil that is loose, gravelly, and well-drained. C. palmata is native to northeastern Baja California, southeastern California, and southwestern Arizona to a point near the Colorado River. The juvenile leaves of C. cylindrata, C. cordata, C. digitata, and C. palmata show a high degree of similarity, but their mature leaves are visibly different, as are their root structures. C. palmata and C. digitata are sympatric, with C. palmata separating the ranges of C. digitata at the juncture of Baja California, California, and Arizona. C. palmata fruits are diffuse green mottle that turns yellow at maturity, striped, and round.

<i>Cucurbita digitata</i> Species of vine

Cucurbita digitata is a species of flowering plant in the squash family known by the common names fingerleaf gourd and bitter squash. It is similar to Cucurbita californica, Cucurbita cordata, Cucurbita cylindrata, and Cucurbita palmata and all these species hybridize readily. These species form the only restricted xerophyte species group in the genus Cucurbita. Each member of this species group is native to the Southwestern United States and Northwestern Mexico where they are relatively uncommon. Each group member is found in hot, arid regions with low rainfall. They prefer soil that is loose, gravelly, and well-drained. C. digitata is native to northern Baja California at higher elevations, northern Sonora, Mexico, southern Arizona, and southwestern New Mexico. The juvenile leaves of C. cylindrata, C. cordata, C. digitata, and C. palmata show a high degree of similarity, but their mature leaves are visibly different, as are their root structures. C. palmata and C. digitata are sympatric, with C. palmata separating the ranges of C. digitata at the juncture of Baja California, California, and Arizona. C. digitata fruits are clear green mottle that turns yellow at maturity, striped, and round.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pumpkin</span> Category of culinary winter Cucurbita squashes

A pumpkin, in English-language vernacular, is a cultivated winter squash in the genus Cucurbita. The term is most commonly applied to round, orange-colored squash varieties, though it does not possess a scientific definition and may be used in reference to many different squashes of varied appearance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cucurbitacin</span> Class of biochemical compounds

Cucurbitacins are a class of biochemical compounds that some plants – notably members of the pumpkin and gourd family, Cucurbitaceae – produce and which function as a defense against herbivores. Cucurbitacins and their derivatives have also been found in many other plant families, in some mushrooms and even in some marine mollusks.

<i>Cucurbita argyrosperma</i> Species of plant

Cucurbita argyrosperma, also called the cushaw squash and silver-seed gourd, is a species of winter squash originally from the south of Mexico. This annual herbaceous plant is cultivated in the Americas for its nutritional value: its flowers, shoots, and fruits are all harvested, but it is cultivated most of all for its seeds, which are used for sauces. It was formerly known as Cucurbita mixta.

<i>Cucurbita ecuadorensis</i> Species of flowering plant

Cucurbita ecuadorensis is a species of squash, described in 1965 as growing wild in Ecuador. Like most wild gourds and squashes, it is a creeping vine and is often found climbing over other vegetation. It has been found only in the western provinces of Guayas and Manabí. There is evidence that it was domesticated in Ecuador around 10,000 years ago, likely for its seeds, but no direct records exist and it is no longer cultivated. It is resistant to many diseases of cultivated Cucurbita species, and has been used to breed resistance to several diseases into common squashes. For example, researchers at Cornell University used Cucurbita ecuadorensis to breed resistance to papaya ringspot virus, watermelon mosaic virus, and powdery mildew, into common Cucurbita maxima cultivars. Cucurbita ecuadorensis is listed on the IUCN Red List as vulnerable, and is found protected in the Machalilla National Park.

Cucurbita pedatifolia is a xerophyte plant species of the genus Cucurbita. It is native to Querétaro, Mexico. It has not been domesticated. While C. pedatifolia has been cross bred, results have met with limited success. It does not cross well with other species of Cucurbita. It is a close relative of Cucurbita radicans. Geographic location and genetics make it highly likely that Cucurbita scabridifolia is a naturally occurring hybrid of Cucurbita foetidissima and C. pedatifolia. It also has some mesophyte traits may represent a transitional state between the mesophytic Cucurbita and the xerophytic Cucurbita.

Cucurbita californica is a species of flowering plant in the squash family.

References

  1. ↑ "A Working List of All Plant Species". theplantlist.org. The Plant List. Retrieved 11 January 2014.
  2. 1 2 3 "Cucurbita ficifolia - Bouché". Plants for a Future. Retrieved September 19, 2013.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Bates, David M.; Robinson, Richard W. (2019-05-15). Biology and Utilization of the Cucurbitaceae. Cornell University Press. ISBN   978-1-5017-4544-7.
  4. 1 2 Lim, T. K. (2012), Lim, T. K. (ed.), "Cucurbita ficifolia", Edible Medicinal And Non-Medicinal Plants: Volume 2, Fruits, Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands, pp. 250–255, doi:10.1007/978-94-007-1764-0_39, ISBN   978-94-007-1764-0 , retrieved 2022-12-18
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Saade, R. Lira; Hernández, S. Montes. "Cucurbits". Purdue Horticulture. Retrieved September 2, 2013.
  6. 1 2 "Figleaf Gourd (Cucurbita ficifolia)". United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Retrieved 2022-12-18.
  7. ↑ Dąbrowska, Anna; Szołtysik, Marek; Babij, Konrad; Pokora, Marta; Zambrowicz, Aleksandra; Chrzanowska, Józefa (2013). "Application of Asian pumpkin (Cucurbita ficifolia) serine proteinase for production of biologically active peptides from casein". Acta Biochimica Polonica. 60 (1): 117–122. doi: 10.18388/abp.2013_1960 . ISSN   1734-154X. PMID   23520577.
  8. ↑ Konrad, Babij; Anna, Dąbrowska; Marek, Szołtysik; Marta, Pokora; Aleksandra, Zambrowicz; Józefa, Chrzanowska (2014-12-01). "The Evaluation of Dipeptidyl Peptidase (DPP)-IV, α-Glucosidase and Angiotensin Converting Enzyme (ACE) Inhibitory Activities of Whey Proteins Hydrolyzed with Serine Protease Isolated from Asian Pumpkin (Cucurbita ficifolia)". International Journal of Peptide Research and Therapeutics. 20 (4): 483–491. doi:10.1007/s10989-014-9413-0. ISSN   1573-3904. PMC   4210635 . PMID   25364320.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 "Cucurbita ficifolia". Germplasm Resources Information Network . Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture . Retrieved 13 November 2014.
  10. 1 2 Acosta-Patiño, J.L.; Jiménez-Balderas, E.; Juárez-Oropeza, M.A.; Dı́Az-Zagoya, J.C. (2001). "Hypoglycemic action of Cucurbita ficifolia on Type 2 diabetic patients with moderately high blood glucose levels". Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 77 (1): 99–101. doi:10.1016/S0378-8741(01)00272-0. PMID   11483384.
  11. ↑ BSBI List 2007 (xls). Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Archived from the original (xls) on 2015-06-26. Retrieved 2014-10-17.
  12. ↑ USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Cucurbita ficifolia". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
  13. 1 2
  14. ↑ Greene, Stephanie L.; Williams, Karen A.; Khoury, Colin K.; Kantar, Michael B.; Marek, Laura F. (2019-03-14). North American Crop Wild Relatives, Volume 2: Important Species. Springer. ISBN   978-3-319-97121-6.
  15. 1 2 3 Nee, Michael (1990). "The Domestication of Cucurbita (Cucurbitaceae)". Economic Botany . New York: New York Botanical Gardens Press. 44 (3, Supplement: New Perspectives on the Origin and Evolution of New World Domesticated Plants): 56–68. doi:10.1007/BF02860475. JSTOR   4255271. S2CID   40493539.
  16. ↑ "Neglected crops: 1492 from a different perspective (ch 10)". Archived from the original on 2019-02-11. Retrieved 2005-08-05.
  17. ↑ Bisognin, Dilson Antônio (2002). "Origin and evolution of cultivated cucurbits". Ciência Rural. 32 (4): 715–723. CiteSeerX   10.1.1.562.2280 . doi:10.1590/S0103-84782002000400028.
  18. ↑ Ng, Timothy J. (1993). "New Opportunities in the Cucurbitaceae: New World Cucurbits". Purdue University. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
  19. 1 2 Moya-Hernández, A.; Bosquez-Molina, E.; Serrato-Díaz, A.; Blancas-Flores, G.; Alarcón-Aguilar, F. J. (2018-05-01). "Analysis of genetic diversity of Cucurbita ficifolia Bouché from different regions of Mexico, using AFLP markers and study of its hypoglycemic effect in mice". South African Journal of Botany. 116: 110–115. doi: 10.1016/j.sajb.2018.02.409 . ISSN   0254-6299.
  20. ↑ Salehi, Bahare; Sharifi-Rad, Javad; Capanoglu, Esra; Adrar, Nabil; Catalkaya, Gizem; Shaheen, Shabnum; Jaffer, Mehwish; Giri, Lalit; Suyal, Renu; Jugran, Arun K.; Calina, Daniela; Oana Docea, Anca; Kamiloglu, Senem; Kregiel, Dorota; Antolak, Hubert (January 2019). "Cucurbita Plants: From Farm to Industry". Applied Sciences. 9 (16): 3387. doi: 10.3390/app9163387 . hdl: 10216/136247 . ISSN   2076-3417.
  21. ↑ Ortins, Ana Patuleia (20 October 2015). Authentic Portuguese Cooking: More Than 185 Classic Mediterranean-Style Recipes of the Azores, Madeira and Continental Portugal. Page Street Publishing. p. 213-214. ISBN   978-1-62414-195-9 . Retrieved 22 October 2023.
  22. ↑ Xia, T; Wang, Q (2006). "D-chiro-inositol found in Cucurbita ficifolia (Cucurbitaceae) fruit extracts plays the hypoglycaemic role in streptozocin-diabetic rats". The Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology. 58 (11): 1527–32. doi: 10.1211/jpp.58.10.0014 . PMID   17132216. S2CID   25816373.
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