More than 2200 species of the wild flora and fauna photographed in Zihuatanejo, Guerrero, Mexico and the surrounding area.
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Begonias, Gourds, and Allies of Zihuatanejo
ORDER CUCURBITALES
Gourd Flower
Cucurbita (Genus)
Flowers by Colour
-Vascular Plants (Phylum Tracheophyta)
-Flowering Plants (Subphylum Angiospermae)
-Begonias, Gourds, and Allies (Order Cucurbitales)
-Gourd Family (Family Cucurbitaceae)
-Tribe Cucurbiteae
-Gourds (Genus Cucurbita)
Cucurbita: A large genus of plants native to North and South America. It includes some cultivated vegetables such as summer and winter squash, pumpkins, and ornamental gourds. Fruits are called pepos and may be long or round, large or small, smooth or warty. Some species and cultivars are edible and some are not; among the edible ones, both fruit and seeds are edible. Large yellow or white flowers with five petals.
Description
• Cucurbita is a genus of flowering vines in the gourd family (Cucurbitaceae), commonly known as pumpkins, squashes, and gourds. These annual or perennial plants have trailing or climbing stems, tendrils, and large, rough, palmately lobed leaves. Their large, usually yellow or orange flowers are borne separately as male and female flowers on the same plant. The fruits vary widely in size, shape, colour, and texture, ranging from soft-skinned squashes to hard-shelled pumpkins and gourds. Many species are cultivated for food, while wild species grow naturally in the Americas.
Range
• Cucurbita is native to the Americas, with wild species occurring from the southern United States through Mexico and Central America into South America. Mexico is an important centre of diversity for the genus, and several species have been cultivated there for thousands of years. Wild and cultivated Cucurbita plants occur in Zihuatanejo, Guerrero, and the surrounding area.
Habitat
• Wild species grow in tropical dry forests, scrub, grasslands, woodland edges, riverbanks, and disturbed ground. They commonly spread across open ground or climb through surrounding vegetation, using tendrils for support. Cultivated species thrive in sunny locations with warm temperatures, adequate moisture, and nutrient-rich, well-drained soils.