| Cucurbita argyrosperma | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Cucurbitales |
| Family: | Cucurbitaceae |
| Genus: | Cucurbita |
| Species: | C. argyrosperma |
| Binomial name | |
| Cucurbita argyrosperma C.Huber[2] | |
| Synonyms[3] | |
| |
Cucurbita argyrosperma, commonly known ascushaw,kershaw, orsilver-seed gourd, is a species ofsquash grown most frequently in North and Central America, and believed to originate from southernMexico.[4][5] Thisannualherbaceous 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.[6]
The species is believed to have originated inMexico, fromits wildsororia form.[7] The reference genome of this species was published in 2019.[8] In precolonial America, archaeological remains have been found as far northward as theEastern Agricultural Complex.[9] 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.[10]
Thespecies epiphetargyrosperma means "silver seeds" in reference to the distinctively-colored seed margins of certain varieties.Cucurbita argyrosperma was formerly known asC. mixta.[6][11] Historically, some varieties now recognized asC. argyrosperma were assigned toCucurbita moschata instead. A small number of trueC. moschata varieties are still commonly known as cushaws.[12]
The flowers are orange or yellow and bloom in July or August. The plant grows about 1 foot high and spreads 10–15 feet. It likes well drained soil and has both male and female flowers. Fruits can weigh up to 20 pounds.[5]
Ainterspecific hybridization experiment in 1990 noted that as of that timeCucurbita argyrosperma was often grown in close proximity toCucurbita moschata inGuatemala andMexico.[13] Aninterspecific variety calledChay Im'um inMayan has been known to feature the seed quantity ofCucurbita moschata with the larger seed size ofC. argyrosperma.[14]
Some authorities have used the nameCucurbita mixta for this species, butargyrosperma has been shown to have precedence.[12] Prior to the modern understanding of this species, manyC. argyrosperma varieties were assigned to the speciesCucurbita moschata. Genetic research shows thatC. argyrosperma andC. moschata are closely related but distinct.[citation needed]
The genusCucurbita is endemic to the Americas, where it was more widely distributed in prehistoric times. Ecological shifts and the extinction ofmegafauna likely explain substantial reduction in wildCucurbita populations during theHolocene epoch.[15] The first example of aCurcubita species in cultivation isC. pepo which is believed to have been cultivated by inhabitants ofGuilá Naquitz cave between 10,000 and 8,000 years ago.[16]
As of November 2025[update],Plants of the World Online does not recognize any subspecies or varieties, treating those that have been named as synonyms of the species.[3]
Other sources accept a number of subspecies and varieties.C. argyrosperma subsp.sororia is believed to be the wild ancestor of the other forms.[17] The other free-living type,palmeri, is placed in the domesticated subspeciesC. argyrosperma subsp.argyrosperma as var.palmeri. Varietypalmeri is believed to be a feral lineage that incorporates wild and domesticated genetics.[17][18]
BothC. argyrosperma subsp.sororia andC. argyrosperma subsp.argyrosperma var.palmieri are found in regions where domesticatedC. argyrosperma has been grown for the longest time.[17] Today the wildsororia type can be found growing freely from Nicaragua to Guatemala and the Mexican coasts of Veracruz, Chiapas, Oaxaca, Guerrero, Michoacán, Colima, Jalisco, Nayarit, Sinaloa, and Sonora.[10] It wasformally described byLiberty Hyde Bailey in 1943, inGentes Herbarum.Sororia, meaning 'sister', was historically classified as closely related toCucurbita texana with which it hybridizes well.[4] In 1948, the proposed type for another speciesCucurbita kellyana was published, but this taxa is now considered a synonym forC. sororia.[6] Thepalmieri type is found from the Pacific coast of northwesternMexico toNicaragua.[6] It was originallyformally described byLiberty Hyde Bailey in 1943, inGentes Herbarum[6] and is now believed to be a mixture of wild and domesticated genetics.[12]
The earliest known possible archaeological records ofC. argyrosperma are 8,700-year-oldphytoliths in the CentralBalsas River valley inGuerrero, but these remains are considered ambiguous.[19][7] The earliest unambiguous specimen is aC. argyrosperma peduncle that has been dated to approximately 5,100 years ago, from the Ocampo caves.[20][7][21]
Genetic evidence centers the domestication ofC. argyrosperma in what is nowJalisco, Mexico.[7] Other evidence suggests that following domestication and before European contact,C. argyrosperma diffused northward into what is now the eastern and central United States before European contact.C. argyrosperma seeds have been recovered fromLate Mississippian archaeological contexts in Arkansas that suggest domesticatedC. argyrosperma was established in that region 1,310–623 years ago.[22][9]
Domestication involved genetic changes to attributes related to growing, handling, and using the plant.C. argyrosperma is thought to follow a domestication pattern similar to otherCucurbita, beginning with reduction of bitterness and an increase in seed size. InC. argyrosperma, attributes affected by domestication and selective breeding include:[7][21]
Varietyargyrosperma ofCucurbita argyrosperma subsp.argyrosperma has historically been cultivated in eastern and southern Mexico and in Central America. The geographic center of cultivation for varietycallicarpa has been central and northwestern Mexico and the southwestern United States. This variety has been documented in Argentina and Peru where it is believed to be a relatively recent introduction.[23] Subspeciesargyrosperma var.stenosperma is endemic to Mexico and has historically been cultivated in the region south of Mexico City.[12]
Some evidence suggests that the modern subsp.argyrosperma var.argyrospermа most closely resembles early domesticatedC. argyrosperma. In southern Mexico andGuatemala, var.stenosperma and var.argyrosperma are cultivated for seeds. The fruit is often used as animal feed. Common names for these types, pipiana and pepitoria, reflects of their selection for seeds.[12]
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The diversity of fruit and seed morphology in var.stenospermа andcallicarpa suggest selection has occurred for the fruit's flesh as well as for edible seeds in those varieties.[21] Further south, the immature fruits of var.stenosperma are consumed as a "summer squash" vegetable. There farmers often growlandrace varieties which have diverse attributes in many regards but prioritize long-necked fruits. Fruits with a long neck are considered preferable when the flesh is used for culinary purposes.[12]
Varietycallicarpa is found the farthest north of the domesticated varieties. It also typically features elongated rather than globose fruit. In general, the flesh var.callicarpa is considered of higher culinary quality than the fruit of var.stenosperma and var.argyrosperma.[12]
One issue facing assessments of the origins and history of domesticatedCucurbita argyrosperma relates to the fact that the species was not fully described at the time of many archaeological studies that guided the 20th century understanding of the domestication and dispersal of this species. Ancient peduncle remains may have been mistakenly assigned toC. maxima andC. moschata, while seed remains may have been assigned toC. maxima,C. moschata, orC. pepo.[24]
Domesticatedlandraces ofC. argyrosperma subsp.argyrosperma var.callicarpa may have reached what is now Virginia and New England hundreds of years before European colonization.[24]
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In areas whereC. argyrosperma is traditionally cultivated, it is common to use terms to describe fruit based on its qualities rather than using a cultivar name.[12] Only a few named cultivars ofCucurbita argyrosperma have been commercialized. Cultivars in commercial distribution in the United States are usually var.callicarpa, and include 'Green Striped Cushaw',[25] 'Orange Striped Cushaw',[25][26] 'Jonathan Pumpkin', 'White Cushaw', 'Japanese Pie', and 'Tennessee Sweet Potato'.[27][7]
Commercial cultivars that have been selected from var.argyrosperma include 'Silverseed Gourd' and 'Campeche Squash'.[27][28][7]
The flowers, stems, shoots, ripe fruits and unripe fruits of the species are consumed as vegetables, although individual varieties may typically only be used for certain purposes.[29][21]
In theSonoran Desert region of theSouthwestern United States and Northwestern Mexico,C. argyrosperma squash are grown by native peoples, especially theTohono O'odham, where it is especially prized when immature as a summer squash. In Mexico,C. argyrosperma seeds are an important food product. Some varieties have been bred with seeds that have oil content as high as 39 percent and protein content 44 percent. Seeds are eaten raw, roasted, toasted, or ground.Cucurbita seeds andC. argyrosperma seeds in particular are an important part of recipes for traditional sauces.[21][30]
The seeds of wild, bitter gourds are used as food after processing to reduce toxiccucurbitacin.[31]
In the Mexican states ofColima andJalisco, bitterC. argyrosperma gourds are known in Spanish as calabacilla as well as by names from theNahuatl language, including agualaxtle, aguachichi, aguichichi, tolonchi, tololonche, tolonchi, and tolenche. In Colima and Jalisco the seeds from wild gourds are ground as part of a beverage called agua fresca, which is said to have a purifying effect.[31]
InGuerrero andMichoacán wildC. argyrosperma gourds are calledchamaco,calabacilla,calabaza de coyote (orcoyote), as well aschicayota, which comes from the Nahuatl language.[12][31]
In Jalisco the pulp of the fruit is used as a remedy againstmange and the seeds are used for the treatment of liver and kidney diseases.[31]
People in theYucatán havetraditionally used the flesh ofCucurbita argyrosperma to tend burns, sores, and eczema, while the seeds have been used with the aim of promotinglactation in nursing women, and provide pain relief.[17] Use of wildC. argyrosperma to treat acne has also been recorded in Chiapas.[31]
A Spanish name for the wild gourds inOaxaca iscalabaza amarga, meaning bitter gourd. Other terms used in that area include the Nahuatltecomachichi, and theZapotecguedu laac. Wild fruits have been used in Oaxaca for healing wounds.[31]
The fruit of some varieties is traditionally fed to livestock.[21]
In Chiapas, where names for wildC. argyrosperma gourds include calabaza de caballo (horse pumpkin), calabaza de burro (donkey pumpkin), and coloquinto, horses and donkeys eat the wild fruits.[31]
WildC. argyrosperma gourd shells are used for handicrafts in Chiapas. The wild gourds have been used in Oaxaca andMichoacán as soap.[31]
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.[7]
In Mexico, the state ofCampeche leadsCucurbita argyrosperma production.[30] A study of agricultural technology used in conventionalC. 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.[30]
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