''Cucurbita pedatifolia'' is a

xerophyte A xerophyte (from Ancient Greek language, Greek ξηρός ''xeros'' 'dry' + φυτόν ''phuton'' 'plant') is a species of plant that has adaptations to survive in an environment with little liquid water, such as a desert such as the Sahara or pl ...

plant species of the genus ''

Cucurbita ''Cucurbita'' (Latin for gourd) is a genus of herbaceous fruits in the gourd family, Cucurbitaceae (also known as ''cucurbits'' or ''cucurbi''), native to the Andes and Mesoamerica. Five edible species are grown and consumed for their flesh and ...

''. It is native to

Querétaro Querétaro (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Querétaro ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Querétaro, links=no; Otomi language, Otomi: ''Hyodi Ndämxei''), is one of the Political divisions of Mexico, 32 federal entities of Mexico. I ...

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

. It has not been

domesticated Domestication is a sustained multi-generational relationship in which humans assume a significant degree of control over the reproduction and care of another group of organisms to secure a more predictable supply of resources from that group. A ...

. While ''C. pedatifolia'' has been cross bred, results have met with limited success. It does not cross well with other species of ''Cucurbita''. It is a close relative of ''

Cucurbita radicans ''Cucurbita radicans'', commonly known in Mexico as calabacilla (little pumpkin/gourd) or calabaza de coyote (coyote gourd), is a species of gourd found growing wild, but also cultivated, in southern Mexico (specifically in the Federal Di ...

''. Geographic location and genetics make it highly likely that ''

Cucurbita scabridifolia ''Cucurbita scabridifolia'' is a plant species of the genus ''Cucurbita'' native to Mexico. It is a xerophyte and has not been domesticated Domestication is a sustained multi-generational relationship in which humans assume a significant deg ...

'' is a naturally occurring hybrid of ''

Cucurbita foetidissima ''Cucurbita foetidissima'' is a tuberous xerophytic plant found in the central and southwestern United States and northern Mexico. It has numerous common names, including: buffalo gourd, calabazilla, chilicote, coyote gourd, fetid gourd, fetid wi ...

'' and ''C. pedatifolia''. It also has some

mesophyte Mesophytes are terrestrial plants which are neither adapted to particularly dry nor particularly wet environments. An example of a mesophytic habitat would be a rural temperate meadow, which might contain goldenrod, clover, oxeye daisy, and ''Rosa m ...

traits may represent a transitional state between the mesophytic ''Cucurbita'' and the xerophytic ''Cucurbita''. The species was formally described by

Liberty Hyde Bailey Liberty Hyde Bailey (March 15, 1858 – December 25, 1954) was an American horticulturist and reformer of rural life. He was cofounder of the American Society for Horticultural Science.Makers of American Botany, Harry Baker Humphrey, Ronald Press ...

in 1943, in ''Gentes Herbarum''. ''Cucurbita moorei'' was at one time described as a separate species native to the vicinity of

Ixmiquilpan Ixmiquilpan (Otomi: Ntsʼu̱tkʼani) is a city and one of the 84 municipalities of Hidalgo, in central-eastern Mexico. It is located on the Mexico City/Nuevo Laredo Highway at km 170 in the central west part of the state of Hidalgo. The town of I ...

within ''Cucurbita'', but now is considered a synonym for ''C. pedatifolia''. ''Cucurbita pedatifolia'' was first formally described by

in 1948, in ''Gentes Herbarum''.

References

External links

* pedatifolia Squashes and pumpkins Flora of Mexico Plants described in 1943 Taxa named by Liberty Hyde Bailey {{Cucurbitales-stub