Cucurbita pepo
Cucurbita pepo
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. ].
Botanical Description
Cucurbita pepo is a vigorous, annual climbing plant producing stems up to 5 metres long. These stems tend to sprawl over the ground, though they can also grow into the surrounding vegetation where they support themselves by means of tendrils. Some cultivars have a much more compact growth habit, forming a mound of growth perhaps 1 metre wide. The plant is widely cultivated in temperate and tropical zones, mainly for its edible fruit but also for its leaves, seed, oil and medicinal uses. In the tropics, it tends to grow better at elevations of 500 metres or more[ 300 Title Vegetables in the Tropics Publication Author Tindall. H. D. Publisher MacMillan, Oxford. Year 1983 ISBN 0-333-24268-8 Description An excellent, in-depth look at the main vegetable crops that can be grown in the Tropics, plus many less well-known plants. ].