Calabash
 Calabash | |||
|---|---|---|---|
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| Lagenaria siceraria | |||
| Scientific classification | |||
| Reign | Plantae | ||
| Division | Magnoliophyta | ||
| Class | Magnoliopsida | ||
| Order | Violales | ||
| Family | Cucurbitaceae | ||
| Genre | Lagenaria | ||
| Binomial name | |||
| Lagenaria siceraria ( Molina ) Standl. , 1930 | |||
| Phylogenetic classification | |||
| Order | Cucurbitales | ||
| Family | Cucurbitaceae | ||
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The calabash, or gourd, is a plant annual herb of the family Cucurbitaceae , grown as a garden plant for its fruit , the gourd, often consumed as fresh vegetable or most often used in the dry state to make various objects. It is native to Africa ( Zimbabwe ).
Common name: gourd, gourd, gourd cape Cougourde, Cougourdons (especially in the region of Nice ), bottle gourd. From Flaschenkrbis by: calabash gourd, bottle gourd, es: calabaza, cajombre.
Scientific Name: Lagenaria siceraria (Molina) Standl., Family Cucurbitaceae , tribe Benincaseae.
Synonyms:
- (=) Cucurbita Lagenaria L., the name still used by gardeners
- (=) Cucurbita leucantha Duchesne
- (=) Cucurbita longa hort.
- () Cucurbita siceraria Molina (basionym)
- (=) Lagenaria Lagenaria (L.) Cockerell, nom. inval.
- () Lagenaria leucantha Rusby
- (=) Lagenaria vulgaris Ser.
Summary |
Description
This is an annual plant, creeping or climbing, with long branching stems fitted with leaf-opposed tendrils branched. The leaves alternate, simple, rounded, are hairy, but smooth to the touch.
Flowers monoecious, white, open at dusk.
Fruit fleshy, variable in shape, spherical or elongated, often resembling a bottle or a jar with a bulbous portion and a neck longer or shorter. It can reach 1 m long or more. The pericarp of the fruit dries out and lignifies maturity and becomes hard as wood.
Origin and distribution
This species is native to the tropics. Its area of origin is unknown, Africa ( Zambia ), in Thailand or Peru , where it was found archaeological remains dating from 12,000 years before Christ, according to the authors.
The culture of this plant and use its fruits as containers is very old. This plant is mentioned by Pliny the Elder , which appeared under the name of Cucurbita among vegetables recommended in the chapter Villis From the Middle Ages.
Culture
Prefers a moist soil and loose, well-smoked.
Propagation is by seed in spring in pots in a sheltered and kept warm (20 C), seedlings are transplanted when the risk of frost is over to fear and the earth warmed enough towards May 15
Growth is very rapid. Provide a trellis to allow the plant to climb.
The harvest of tender young fruit for consumption is about two months after sowing. ripe fruits to be dried are harvested late in the season before the frosts of autumn.
Large fruits are grown in Africa, Mali , in the region bordering the River Niger and is mainly intended for the manufacture of kitchen utensils and transporting food and water. The fruit has a diameter which can vary from 150 to 600 mm, when cut in half is emptied of its seeds dry, it is ready for use.
Main varieties
There are many varieties.
- Pilgrim flask
- Siphon gourd
- Club gourd
- Gourd Corsica
Usage
Young fruit, taste rather bland, as they prepare zucchini. This vegetable is mainly consumed in India and the Far East. Some varieties, too bitter because of their content cucurbitacins are not edible.
Dried fruits are used for manufacturing of various traditional items, including kitchen utensils (containers, bottles, boxes, cases) or musical instruments ( kora , berimbau , maracas , thumb piano , sitar , oporo among others). Among the traditional uses include the manufacture of penile cases among certain tribes of New Guinea or Africa, mixing and transporting traditioonnelles beers, and the preparation of material.
The plant is also used as an ornamental vine trellises and arbors to decorate.
The fruit, once emptied, can be used as nesting bird.
Other gourds
The calabash is a large tropical tree in the family Bignoniaceae , whose fruit is also used as a timber vessel.
| Squash |
|---|
| Lagenaria : calabashes or gourds |
| Cucurbita : the squash in general |
| Cucurbita pepo : the real pumpkins, courgettes pumpkin spaghetti squash Squash |
| Cucurbita maxima : the pumpkins pumpkins pumpkin (Turkish caps) |
| Cucurbita moschata : the butternut squash doubeurres |
| Cucurbita ficifolia : the gourd |
| Cucurbita argyrosperma : squash grown in North America (Class Cushaw) |
| Benincasa hispida : the wax gourd |
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