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Cucurbita argyrosperma
Also called Cushaw Pumpkin, Silver Seed Gourd
Cucurbita argyrosperma, the cushaw or silver-seed gourd, is a warm-climate annual squash grown mainly for its seeds, fruits, shoots and flowers. It thrives in warm, low-elevation conditions with well-drained soil and plenty of sun.
Cucurbita argyrosperma, commonly known as cushaw, kershaw, or silver-seed gourd, is a species of squash grown most frequently in North and Central America, and believed to originate from southern Mexico. This annual herbaceous plant is cultivated for its nutritional value: its flowers, shoots, and fruits are all harvested, but it is cultivated commonly in its native range for seeds.
The species is believed to have originated in Mexico, from its wild sororia form. The reference genome of this species was published in 2019. In precolonial America, archaeological remains have been found as far northward as the Eastern Agricultural Complex. The extant native range of the wild sororia type is from northern Mexico through Central America to Nicaragua, at elevations from sea level to 1,900m.
Cucurbita argyrosperma subsp. argyrosperma, which includes all domesticated cushaw taxa, is adapted to warm climates and is most commonly cultivated at low elevations. The maximum elevation for this subspecies is at approximately 1,800 m above sea level.
In Mexico, the state of Campeche leads Cucurbita argyrosperma production. A study of agricultural technology used in conventional C. argyrosperma cultivation in Campeche indicated that some technologies used elsewhere in industrialized farming systems, such as irrigation, are not productive. Chemical treatments are the most common agritech practice in those areas.
Coyote Melon · Coyote Gourd · Cucurbita cylindrata · Fingerleaf gourd · Ecuadorian Squash · Figleaf gourd · Missouri gourd · Cucurbita galeottii · Bitter Pumpkin · Marten Gourd · Jarrahdale pumpkin · Winter squash
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Cucurbita argyrosperma by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
