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Melons-Squash-art - 3/6/17

 

"Melons and Squashes" by Mistress Agnes deLanvallei.

 

NOTE: See also the files: Cucumbers-Hst-art, gourds-msg, cucumbers-msg, P-Cowcumbers-art, veg-stuffed-msg, Watermelons-art, watermelons-msg.

 

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Melons and Squashes

by Agnes deLanvallei

 

Melons and squashes are plants in the cucumber family, Cucurbitaceae.  This group is both Old and New World and the names have become quite confused.

 

Table 1. Cultivated species of Cucurbitaceae

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   
  

COMMON NAME

  
  

Scientific   Name

  
  

Origin

  
  

Comments/sources

  
  

balsam apple

  
  

Momordica dioica

  
  

India and Asia

  
  

Mostly wild [1] Pictured in [6] Italy 1517

  
  

balsam pear

  
  

Momordica charantia,  see melon, bitter

  
  

 

  
  

 

  
  

calabash (gourd)

  
  

see gourd, bottle

  
  

 

  
  

 

  
  

cantaloupe

  
  

Cucumis melo

  
  

Africa [2]

  

 

  
  

[2], [4], [5]

  
  

chayote or christophine

  
  

Sechium edule

  
  

Mexico [4]    Central America [5]

  
  

1, 4, 5   Cultivated by Aztecs [1], [4]

  
  

citron or preserving melon

  
  

Citrullus lanatus var. citroides

  
  

Africa [2], [4]

  
  

small fruits, white flesh [2], [4]

  
  

cococynth

  
  

Citrullus cococynthus

  
  

Africa [2]

  
  

Watermelon relative:  seeds in Egyptian   archaeological sites from 3800 BC; bitter, not cultivated. Also called bitter   gourd [2]

  
  

cucumber

  
  

Cucumis sativus

  
  

South-central Asia [2], [5]

  
  

Written records of cucumbers from western Asia   1000 BC; grown in classical Greece & Rome; not to China until 2nd Century   AD [2], [4], [5]

  
  

cushow, green striped

  
  

Cucurbita

  

argyrospermaa

  
  

S. Mexico [4]

  
  

[3], [4], [5]

  
  

gherkin

  
  

Cucumis anguria

  
  

Africa [2], [5]

  
  

2,5  The name "West Indian gherkin"   is misleading: came from Africa with the slave trade [2]

  
  

gourd, bitter

  
  

Momordica charantia See bitter melon

  
  

 

  
  

 

  
  

gourd, bottle

  
  

Lagenaria sicerariac

  
  

Tropical Africa, Madagascar [1]

  
  

cultivated throughout world: "gourds"   [1]

  

Earliest cultivated records: central and South   America 7000 BC; Africa 2000 BC; China 1000 BC [1]

  
  

gourd, figleaf;

  
  

Cucurbita ficifolia

  
  

Peru [5]

  
  

Known from Peru 3000-4000 BC;long cultivated   Mexico to S America [5] also called Malabar gourd

  
  

gourd, Malabar

  
  

Cucurbita ficifolia

  

See figleaf gourd

  
  

 

  
  

 

  
  

gourd, wax

  
  

Benincasa hispida

  
  

Southern China [4]

  
  

Alternate names, winter melon, white gourd, white   pumpkin, hairy melon, fuzzy melon;  SE Asia before 600 AD1, [4]  A   tropical plant grown mainly in Asia; however, it travels well.

  
  

luffa

  
  

Luffa acutangula, L. cylindricad

  
  

Asia [4]

  
  

young fruit edible [1], [4], [5] Probably   domesticated in India but records lacking:  not reported in China until   AD 618-9001; Europe??

  
  

marrow, winter

  
  

Cucurbita maxima

  
  

S. America [4]

  
  

3,4,5

  
  

melon

  
  

Cucumis melo

  
  

Africa [2], [4], [5]

  
  

Earliest cultivated reference: India 2000 BC; [2]   China 1000 BC2  Apparently not know in Egypt or Greece, came to Europe   at end of Roman Empire [5]

  

deCandolle in 1886 --a classic work on cultivated   plants --suggested 'sikua' of Theophrastus and 'pepon' of Dioscorides were   melons, but modern writers are doubtful [2] Very varied by 1517: see pictures   in  [6]

  
  

melon, bitter

  
  

Momordica charantia

  
  

Asia [1], [4], [5]

  
  

[1],[4]  Minor melon, not much known of   origins.  Picture in 7 (Italy 1517)  Also called balsam pear5,   bitter gourd

  
  

melon, egusi

  
  

Cucumeropsis edulis, Cucumeropsis manii

  
  

West Africa [5]

  
  

Cultivated in West Africa for oily seeds, which   are cooked [1] [5]

  
  

melon, honeydew

  
  

Cucumis melo

  
  

 

  
  

[2], [4], [5]

  
  

melon, pickling

  
  

Cucmis melo

  
  

 

  
  

described in China 1000-500 BC [2]

  
  

melon, winter

  
  

See gourd, wax

  
  

 

  
  

 

  
  

muskmelon

  
  

Cucumis melo

  
  

 

  
  

2,4,5 described in China 1000-500 BC [2]

  

 

  
  

 

  
  

 

  
  

 

  
  

 

  
  

pumpkin

  
  

Cucurbita

  

argyrospermaa,

  

Cucurbita ficifolia,

  

Cucurbita

  

maxima,

  

Cucurbita moschata, Cucurbita  pepo

  
  

Central and South America [3], [4], [5]

  
  

[3], [4], [5]

  
  

snake-gourd

  
  

Trichosanthes cucumerina

  
  

Asia, Australia5

  
  

Cultivated in India, Far East5

  
  

squash, acorn

  
  

Cucurbita pepo,

  

Cucurbita ficifolia

  
  

West Indies, S. America4

  
  

[3], [4], [5]

  
  

squash, butternut

  
  

Cucurbita moschata

  
  

Mexico or South America4

  
  

[3], [4], [5]

  
  

squash, crookneck

  
  

Cucurbita pepo

  
  

Mexico, SE US [4]

  
  

[3], [4]

  
  

squash, hubbard

  
  

Cucurbita

  

argyrospermaa

  
  

Mexico or South America [4]

  
  

[3], [4], [5]

  
  

squash, ornamental

  
  

Cucurbita pepo

  
  

Mexico, SE US [4]

  
  

[3], [4], [5]

  
  

squash, spaghetti

  
  

Cucurbita pepo

  
  

Mexico, SE US [4]

  
  

[3], [4], [5]

  
  

squash, summer

  
  

Cucurbita pepo

  
  

SE USA, Mexico [4]

  
  

[3], [4], [5]

  
  

squash, turban

  
  

Cucurbita argyrosperma

  
  

Mexico or S America [4]

  
  

[3], [4], [5]

  
  

squash, winter

  
  

Cucurbita argyrospermaa,

  

Cucurbita maxima

  

Cucurbita moschata, Cucurbita  pepo

  
  

SE USA to South America [4]

  
  

[3], [4], [5]

  
  

watermelon

  
  

Citrullus lanatus var.lanatusb

  
  

Central Africa [4]

  
  

Seeds in Egypt 2000 BC [2], [4], [5]

  

Mediterranean region from 1000 BC. [5] Watermelons   vary in size, shape (round to oblong to elliptical, color of rind (hues of   green, with or without stripes or spots), color of flesh (white to red to   yellow or orange) and color of seeds (white to reddish brown and black):   these variant forms were recorded by the European Middle Ages [2] See   pictures in [6]

  
  

zucchini

  
  

Cucurbita pepo

  
  

Mexico [4]

  
  

[2], [4], [5]

  

 

NOTES

a Cucurbita mixta is an outdated name of Cucurbita argyrosperma

b Citrullus vulgaris is an outdated scientific name for Citrullus lanatus var. lanatus, watermelon [5]

c Lagenaria vulgaris and L. leucantha are outdated scientific names for bottle gourd, L. siceraria1

d Luffa aegyptica is an outdated scientific name for luffa, L. cylindrica1

 

Earliest archaelogical finding  (domestication) of: Cucurbita argyrosperma 5000 BC Mexico [3]; Cucurbita ficifolia, Peru 1000 BC [3]; Cucurbita maxima:  Peru, 2000 BC [3] ;Cucurbita moschata 4900 BC, southern Mexico [3];  Cucurbita pepo, southern Mexico 8000 BC [3].

 

Comments: 

 

Squashes:  The common names of the squashes are all mixed up, but all are New World.  Many reached Europe very early in the 16th century:  see pictures in Festoons of Cupid and Psyche [6]

 

Gourds: Bottle gourd is Old World (and New World) and has many forms.  Some other gourds are clearly New World species.

 

Melons: All are Old World but while most are Cucumis (or Citrullus) there are bitter melons and other minor species pictured in 1517 (see 6 )

 

Pumpkins:  this group is very mixed up.  Most if not all modern pumpkins are New World.  The term "pompon" in French is pre-1492, however, and must refer to small melons of some sort.

 

References

 

[1] Bates, David M., Laura C. Merrick, and Richard W. Robertson. 1995.  Minor cucurbits.  Pp. 105-111 IN: J. Smartt and N. W. Simmonds.  Evolution of Crop Plants. 2nd ed. Longman Scientific and Technical, London.

 

[2] Bates, David M. and Richard W. Robertson. 1995.  Cucumbers, melons and water-melons.  Pp. 89-96 IN: J. Smartt and N. W. Simmonds.  Evolution of Crop Plants. 2nd ed. Longman Scientific and Technical, London.

 

[3] Merrick, Laura C. 1995.  Squashes, pumpkins and gourds.  Pp. 97-105 IN: J. Smartt and N. W. Simmonds.  Evolution of Crop Plants. 2nd ed. Longman Scientific and Technical, London.

 

[4] Simpson, Beryl B. and Molly C. Ogorzaly. 2001. Economic botany. Plants in our world. 3rd ed. McGraw Hill-Boston.

 

[5] Vaughan, J. G. and C. A. Geissler. 1997.  The new Oxford book of food plants. Oxford University Press, Oxford U.K.

 

[6] Whipkey,  Anna and Jules Janick  2005. The festoons of the Cupid and Psyche in the Loggia in the Villa Farnesina. An interactive database http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/udine/info.html">http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/udine/info.html

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Copyright 2009 by Holly Howarth. <sablegreyhound at hotmail.com>. Permission is granted for republication in SCA-related publications, provided the author is credited.  Addresses change, but a reasonable attempt should be made to ensure that the author is notified of the publication and if possible receives a copy.

 

If this article is reprinted in a publication, please place a notice in the publication that you found this article in the Florilegium. I would also appreciate an email to myself, so that I can track which articles are being reprinted. Thanks. -Stefan.

 

<the end>

 



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Comments to the Editor: stefan at florilegium.org