Cucurbita maxima andreana

Botanical Description

Cucurbita maxima andreana is a vigorous, fast-growing annual plant with stems that sprawl over the ground and scramble into the surrounding vegetation where they support themselves by means of tendrils[ 1957 Title Anticancer and antiinflammatory activities of cucurbitacins from Cucurbita andreana Publication Cancer Letters 189 (2003) 11-16 Author Jayaprakasam B. et al Publisher Year 2003 ISBN Description ]. The plant is the wild progenitor of the cultivated Cucurbita maxima with its edible fruits. However, the wild form has bitter-tasting fruits and leaves that are not usually eaten. However, the bitter substances have been shown to contain a number of medicinally active compounds and the plant is of interest in the treatment of cancer and other diseases.