Changes

{{Taxobox

__NOTOC__{{Plantbox

| color = lightgreen

| name = ''Cucurbitaceae''

| name = Cucurbitaceae

| common_names = Gourd Family

| color = IndianRed

| image = Hodgsonia heteroclita male.jpg

| image = Hodgsonia heteroclita male.jpg

| image_width = 200px

| image_width = 180px    <!--- leave as 240px if horizontal orientation photo, or change to 180px if vertical -->

| image_caption = ''[[Hodgsonia]]'' male plant

| image_caption = Hodgsonia - male plant

| regnum = [[Plant]]ae

| regnum = Plantae

| divisio = [[Flowering plant|Magnoliophyta]]

| divisio = Magnoliophyta

| classis = [[Dicotyledon|Magnoliopsida]]

| classis = Magnoliopsida

| ordo = [[Cucurbitales]]

| ordo = Cucurbitales

| familia = '''Cucurbitaceae'''

| familia = Cucurbitaceae

}}

}}

'''Cucurbitaceae''' is a [[plant]] [[family (biology)|family]] commonly known as '''gourds''' or '''cucurbits''' and includes crops like [[cucumber]]s, [[squash (vegetable)|squashes]] (including [[pumpkins]]), [[luffa]]s, [[melon]]s and [[watermelons]]. The family is predominately distributed around the tropics, where those with edible fruits were amongst the earliest cultivated plants in both the Old and New Worlds.

There are 87 genera and about 650 species, widely distributed over the earth but most abundant in the tropics; they are wanting in the cold regions. Several are wild in the eastern United States. The family is related to the Campanulaceae, possibly also to the Passifloraceae. The tendrils are usually borne singly at the nodes and are thought to be modified axillary branches. The fruits are exceedingly diverse and odd. Some are the largest fruits of the vegetable kingdom, others are very tiny. The gourds are very diverse in shape and color,—club-shaped, globular, or flattened from above, or curiously curved.

Most of the plants in this family are [[Annual plant|annual]] [[vine]]s with large [[blossom|showy-blossoms]], usually white or various shades of bright yellow to orange-yellow. The plants produce male and female flowers separately on the same plant, and the female flowers have [[Ovary (plants)#Inferior ovary|inferior ovaries]]. The fruit is a kind of [[berry]] called a [[Epigynous_berry|pepo]].

The family is of considerable economic importance. The fruits of many are edible; e. g., Cucurbita Pepo (pumpkin, summer crookneck squash), C. maxima (squash), C. moschala (winter crookneck squash), Cucumis Melo (muskmelon and other melons), C. sativa (cucumber), Citrullus vulgaris (watermelon). The gourds are cultivated as curiosities and for the fruit to be used as household utensils, e. g., bottle-gourds and calabash (Lagenaria). The leaves, stems, or roots of very many species contain bitter, subresinous substances which render them drastic purgatives. The roots of Bryonia alba (bryony) of Europe are highly purgative. The fruits of colocinth (Citrullus Colocynthis) of the orient and North Africa furnish a purgative known to the ancients. The fruit of Luffa of India and Arabia is purgative when ripe but edible when green. The outer portion of the fruit of Luffa is very fibrous and reticulated, and, when cleaned, serves as a sponge or dish-cloth in the Antilles (luffa-sponge or Egyptian bath-sponge). The small gourd of Benincasa hispida (wax gourd or Chinese watermelon) of tropical Asia is considered an emblem of fertility in India and is presented to newly married couples. Acanthosicyos of the South African desert is remarkably erect and spiny, but the small fruit is considered a delicacy. Elaterium is a drug obtained from the juice of Ecballium Elaterium.

Most of the plants in this family are readily susceptible to the [[larva]] of a particular [[moth]], the [[squash borer|Squash Borer]].

The most remarkable fruit is the squirting cucumber (Ecballium Elaterium) of the Mediterranean region. The prickly fruit, about 2 inches long, becomes very turgid and finally explodes with a considerable report. The basal end is blown out like a cork from a bottle, and the pulpy interior, containing the seeds, is projected to a considerable distance.

==Classification==

There are about 118 extant genera in Cucurbitaceae, including 825 species. The following is the classification as given by Charles Jeffrey as of [[1990]].

 

==Genera==

There are about 118 extant genera in Cucurbitaceae, including 825 species. The following is the classification as given by Charles Jeffrey as of [[1990]]{{wp}}.

'''Subfamily Zanonioideae''' (small striate pollen grains)

'''Subfamily Zanonioideae''' (small striate pollen grains)

''[[Abobra]] [[Acanthosicyos]] [[Actinostemma]] [[Alsomitra]] [[Ampelosycios]] [[Anacaona]] [[Apatzingania]] [[Apodanthera]] [[Bambekea]] [[Benincasa]] [[Biswarea]] [[Bolbostemma]] [[Brandegea]] [[Bryonia]] [[Calycophysum]] [[Cayaponia]] [[Cephalopentandra]] [[Ceratosanthes]] [[Chalema]] [[Cionosicyos]] [[Citrullus]] [[Coccinia]] [[Cogniauxia]] [[Corallocarpus]] [[Cremastopus]] [[Ctenolepis]] [[Cucumella]] [[Cucumeropsis]] [[Cucumis]] [[Cucurbita]] [[Cucurbitella]] [[Cyclanthera]] [[Dactyliandra]] [[Dendrosicyos]] [[Dicaelospermum]] [[Dieterlea]] [[Diplocyclos]] [[Doyerea]] [[Ecballium]] [[Echinocystis]] [[Echinopepon]] [[Edgaria]] [[Elateriopsis]] [[Eureiandra]] [[Fevillea]] [[Gerrardanthus]] [[Gomphogyne]] [[Gurania]] [[Guraniopsis]] [[Gymnopetalum]] [[Gynostemma]] [[Halosicyos]] [[Hanburia]] [[Helmontia]] [[Hemsleya]] [[Herpetospermum]] [[Hodgsonia]] [[Ibervillea]] [[Indofevillea]] [[Kedrostis]] [[Lagenaria]] [[Lemurosicyos]] [[Luffa]] [[Marah (plant)|Marah]] [[Melancium]] [[Melothria]] [[Melothrianthus]] [[Microsechium]] [[Momordica]] [[Muellerargia]] [[Mukia]] [[Myrmecosicyos]] [[Neoalsomitra]] [[Nothoalsomitra]] [[Odosicyos]] [[Oreosyce]] [[Parasicyos]] [[Penelopeia (plant)|Penelopeia]] [[Peponium]] [[Peponopsis]] [[Polyclathra]] [[Posadaea]] [[Praecitrullus]] [[Pseudocyclanthera]] [[Pseudosicydium]] [[Psiguria]] [[Pteropepon]] [[Pterosicyos]] [[Raphidiocystis]] [[Ruthalicia]] [[Rytidostylis]] [[Schizocarpum]] [[Schizopepon]] [[Sechiopsis]] [[Sechium]] [[Selysia]] [[Seyrigia]] [[Sicana]] [[Sicydium]] [[Sicyos]] [[Sicyosperma]] [[Siolmatra]] [[Siraitia]] [[Solena]] [[Tecunumania]] [[Telfairia]] [[Thladiantha]] [[Trichosanthes]] [[Tricyclandra]] [[Trochomeria]] [[Trochomeriopsis]] [[Tumacoca]] [[Vaseyanthus]] [[Wilbrandia]] [[Xerosicyos]] [[Zanonia]] [[Zehneria]] [[Zombitsia]] [[Zygosicyos]]''

''[[Abobra]] [[Acanthosicyos]] [[Actinostemma]] [[Alsomitra]] [[Ampelosycios]] [[Anacaona]] [[Apatzingania]] [[Apodanthera]] [[Bambekea]] [[Benincasa]] [[Biswarea]] [[Bolbostemma]] [[Brandegea]] [[Bryonia]] [[Calycophysum]] [[Cayaponia]] [[Cephalopentandra]] [[Ceratosanthes]] [[Chalema]] [[Cionosicyos]] [[Citrullus]] [[Coccinia]] [[Cogniauxia]] [[Corallocarpus]] [[Cremastopus]] [[Ctenolepis]] [[Cucumella]] [[Cucumeropsis]] [[Cucumis]] [[Cucurbita]] [[Cucurbitella]] [[Cyclanthera]] [[Dactyliandra]] [[Dendrosicyos]] [[Dicaelospermum]] [[Dieterlea]] [[Diplocyclos]] [[Doyerea]] [[Ecballium]] [[Echinocystis]] [[Echinopepon]] [[Edgaria]] [[Elateriopsis]] [[Eureiandra]] [[Fevillea]] [[Gerrardanthus]] [[Gomphogyne]] [[Gurania]] [[Guraniopsis]] [[Gymnopetalum]] [[Gynostemma]] [[Halosicyos]] [[Hanburia]] [[Helmontia]] [[Hemsleya]] [[Herpetospermum]] [[Hodgsonia]] [[Ibervillea]] [[Indofevillea]] [[Kedrostis]] [[Lagenaria]] [[Lemurosicyos]] [[Luffa]] [[Marah (plant)|Marah]] [[Melancium]] [[Melothria]] [[Melothrianthus]] [[Microsechium]] [[Momordica]] [[Muellerargia]] [[Mukia]] [[Myrmecosicyos]] [[Neoalsomitra]] [[Nothoalsomitra]] [[Odosicyos]] [[Oreosyce]] [[Parasicyos]] [[Penelopeia (plant)|Penelopeia]] [[Peponium]] [[Peponopsis]] [[Polyclathra]] [[Posadaea]] [[Praecitrullus]] [[Pseudocyclanthera]] [[Pseudosicydium]] [[Psiguria]] [[Pteropepon]] [[Pterosicyos]] [[Raphidiocystis]] [[Ruthalicia]] [[Rytidostylis]] [[Schizocarpum]] [[Schizopepon]] [[Sechiopsis]] [[Sechium]] [[Selysia]] [[Seyrigia]] [[Sicana]] [[Sicydium]] [[Sicyos]] [[Sicyosperma]] [[Siolmatra]] [[Siraitia]] [[Solena]] [[Tecunumania]] [[Telfairia]] [[Thladiantha]] [[Trichosanthes]] [[Tricyclandra]] [[Trochomeria]] [[Trochomeriopsis]] [[Tumacoca]] [[Vaseyanthus]] [[Wilbrandia]] [[Xerosicyos]] [[Zanonia]] [[Zehneria]] [[Zombitsia]] [[Zygosicyos]]''

Ref: [http://delta-intkey.com/angio/www/cucurbit.htm Watson and Dallwitz] [[3 September]] [[2002]]

Ref: [http://delta-intkey.com/angio/www/cucurbit.htm Watson and Dallwitz] [[3 September]] [[2002]]

==References==

==References==

*[[Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture]], by L. H. Bailey, MacMillan Co., 1963

*{{cite book|author=David Bates, Richard Robinson, Charles Jeffrey, eds.|year=1990|title=Biology and Utilization of the Cucurbitaceae|publisher=Cornell UP|id=ISBN 0-8014-1670-1}}

* Jeffrey, C. 2005. A new system of Cucurbitaceae. ''Bot. Zhurn'' 90: 332–335. [latest classification of Cucurbitaceae]

==External links==

==External links==

* [http://www.cucurbit.org/family.html Cucurbitaceae] in [http://www.cucurbit.org/family.html T.C. Andres (1995 onwards)].

*{{wplink}}

[[Category:Cucurbitaceae| ]]

[[Category:Categorize]]

[[Category:Plant families]]

[[Category:Plant families]]

[[Category:Cucurbitales]]

[[Category:Cucurbitales]]