Cucurbita californica

Cucurbita californica
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Rosids
Order:	Cucurbitales
Family:	Cucurbitaceae
Genus:	Cucurbita
Species:	C. californica
Binomial name
Cucurbita californica S.Wats.

Cucurbita californica is a species of flowering plant in the squash family.^[1]

The species was first identified by Sereno Watson in 1876.^[1] There is disagreement about whether this is a separate species from Cucurbita palmata.^[2][3] In 1883 botanist C. C. Parry reported it was distinguishable from C. palmata by its smaller fruit and foliage, and fruit that is a dull green with thin ridges.^[4] It is similar to Cucurbita cordata, Cucurbita cylindrata, Cucurbita digitata, and Cucurbita palmata and all these species hybridize readily.^[5]

References

1. Nee, Michael (1990). "The Domestication of Cucurbita (Cucurbitaceae)". Economic Botany (New York: New York Botanical Gardens Press) 44 (3, Supplement: New Perspectives on the Origin and Evolution of New World Domesticated Plants): 56–68. JSTOR 4255271.
2. "Cucurbita californica Torr. ex S. Watson". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved September 27, 2013.
3. "Cucurbitaceae Gourd Family". Jepson Herbarium, University of California-Berkeley. Retrieved September 27, 2013.
4. Parry, C. C. (May 1883). "Cucurbita Californica, Torr". Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club (Torrey Botanical Society) 10 (15): 50–51. doi:10.2307/2475497 (inactive 2016-01-19). JSTOR 2475497.
5. Puchalski, J. T.; Robinson, R. W. (1978). "Comparative Electrophoretic Analysis of Isozymes in Cucurbita Species". Cucurbit Genetics Cooperative Report (Raleigh, NC: North Carolina State University) 1: 28.