Classification of pumpkins
How is a pumpkin classified in biology?
Cucurbita fruits are large and fleshy. Botanists classify the Cucurbita fruit as a pepo, which is a special type of berry derived from an inferior ovary, with a thick outer wall or rind with hypanthium tissue forming an exocarp around the ovary, and a fleshy interior composed of mesocarp and endocarp.
What is the classification of squash?
What are the characteristics of pumpkins?
Pumpkins are often yellowish to orange in colour, and they vary from oblate to globular to oblong; some feature a white rind. The rind is smooth and usually lightly furrowed or ribbed. The fruit stem is hard and woody, ridged, and angled.
What is the scientific name for pumpkin?
What is the difference between squash and pumpkin?
The main difference between pumpkin and squash is that pumpkin is a fruit of the genus Cucurbita with a hard and jagged stem, while squash is a fruit from the same genus with a less firm and hollow stem.
What is the characteristics of squash?
Plants are upright and spreading, 45 to 75 cm (18 to 30 inches) high, and produce a great diversity of fruit forms, from flattened through oblong to elongate and crooked fruits, coloured from white through cream to yellow, green, and variegated. Fruit surfaces or contours may be scalloped, smooth, ridged, or warty.
What is another name for a pumpkin?
In this page you can discover 21 synonyms, antonyms, idiomatic expressions, and related words for pumpkin, like: gourd, jack-o’-lantern, fruit, autumn pumpkin, melon, plum, carrot, cucurbita-pepo, strawberry, beetroot and cabbage.
What are the examples of pumpkin?
The definition of a pumpkin is a round orange or white fruit filled with seeds that grows on a vine. An example of a pumpkin is a big orange squash that is carved with a scary face for a Halloween decoration.
What family is a pumpkin in?
Cucurbitaceae, the gourd family of flowering plants, belonging to the order Cucurbitales and containing 98 genera and about 975 species of food and ornamental plants. Members of the family are annual or perennial herbs native to temperate and tropical areas and include cucumbers, gourds, melons, squashes, and pumpkins.
What type of vegetable is squash?
Although squash is generally thought of as a vegetable, this member of the gourd family is actually classified as a fruit, because it has seeds and comes from the flowering part of the plant.
Is squash a vegetable or a starch?
While most people consider it a vegetable, a squash is botanically a fruit, because it produces seeds. Most varieties originate from the Andes, with some native to Africa. Summer squash, despite the name, is generally available year-round; varieties include zucchini, yellow, pattypan and crookneck.
What is the meaning of squash vegetable?
Definition of squash (Entry 4 of 4) : any of various fruits of plants (genus Cucurbita) of the gourd family widely cultivated as vegetables also : a plant and especially a vine that bears squashes — compare summer squash, winter squash.
What is included in the squash family?
Zucchini, squash, marrows, pumpkins, cucumbers, melons and gourds are all members of the Curcubitaceae, Squash or Gourd family. These fruits and vegetables are also known as ‘Curcubits’.
Is pumpkin non-starchy?
Here’s a list of common vegetables in the “starchy” category: corn, peas, potatoes, zucchini, parsnips, pumpkin, butternut squash and acorn squash. The non-starchy vegetables category is much larger and includes veggies like spinach, celery, broccoli, radishes, onions, garlic, tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots and beets.
Does pumpkin have starch?
Summary. Pumpkin is fairly low in calories while also being very low in fat. The carbs it contains are a mixture of fiber, naturally occurring sugars, and starch.
Is pumpkin a squash?
The genus Cucurbita (aka “squash”) falls under this family, so yes, your traditional orange pumpkin is also a winter squash (not to be confused with soft-skinned summer squash, such as zucchini).
Is pumpkin good for weight loss?
Simply put, pumpkin is a weight-loss friendly food because you can consume more of it than other carb sources — such as rice and potatoes — but still take in fewer calories. What’s more, pumpkin is a good source of fiber, which can help curb your appetite.