Cucurbita foetidissima
Cucurbita foetidissima
Safety & Hazards
The sprouting seed produces a toxic substance in its embryo[ 65 Title A Colour Atlas of Poisonous Plants. Publication Author Frohne. D. and Pfänder. J. Publisher Wolfe Year 1984 ISBN 0723408394 Description Brilliant. Goes into technical details but in a very readable way. The best work on the subject that I've come across so far. ]. There is a report that the root is poisonous[ 207 Title The History and Folklore of North American Wild Flowers. Publication Author Coffey. T. Publisher Facts on File. Year 1993 ISBN 0-8160-2624-6 Description A nice read, lots of information on plant uses. ].
Botanical Description
Cucurbita foetidissima is a herbaceous perennial, sprawling or climbing plant producing vigorous stems around 2 - 10 metres long from a large, tuberous rootstock. The stems usually sprawl across the ground, often forming roots at the nodes, but they can support themselves somewhat by means of short, stout tendrils[ 200 Title The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. Publication Author Huxley. A. Publisher MacMillan Press Year 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5 Description Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed. , 270 Title Flora of N. America Publication Author Website http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/fna/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An on-line version of the flora with an excellent description of the plant including a brief mention of plant uses. ]. The plant has a wide range of uses for the local people, providing food, medicines, soap, material for craftwork etc. Cucurbita foetidissima has been studied as a source of root starch and seed oil and is considered to be a potentially productive crop adapted to arid and semiarid regions[ 270 Title Flora of N. America Publication Author Website http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/fna/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An on-line version of the flora with an excellent description of the plant including a brief mention of plant uses. , 1955 Title The Feral Buffalo Gourd, Cucurbita foetidissima Publication Economic Botany 32: 87-95. January-March, 1978 Author Bemis W.P., Curtis L.D., Weber C.W. & Berry J. Publisher Year 1978 ISBN Description ].