''Cucurbita cylindrata'' is a species of flowering plant in the squash family. It is similar to ''

Cucurbita californica ''Cucurbita californica'' is a species of flowering plant in the squash family. The species was first identified by Sereno Watson in 1876. There is disagreement about whether this is a separate species from ''Cucurbita palmata''. In 1883 botan ...

'', ''

Cucurbita cordata ''Cucurbita cordata'' is a species of flowering plant in the squash family. It is similar to '' Cucurbita californica'', '' Cucurbita cylindrata'', '' Cucurbita digitata'', and ''Cucurbita palmata'' and all these species hybridize readily. Thes ...

'', ''

Cucurbita digitata ''Cucurbita digitata'' is a species of flowering plant in the squash family known by the common names fingerleaf gourd and bitter squash. It is similar to '' Cucurbita californica'', '' Cucurbita cordata'', '' Cucurbita cylindrata'', and '' Cuc ...

'', and ''

Cucurbita palmata ''Cucurbita palmata'' is a species of flowering plant in the squash family known by the common names coyote melon and coyote gourd. It is similar to '' Cucurbita californica'', '' Cucurbita cordata'', '' Cucurbita cylindrata'', and '' Cucurbit ...

'' and all these species hybridize readily. These species form the only restricted

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 ...

species group In biology, a species complex is a group of closely related organisms that are so similar in appearance and other features that the boundaries between them are often unclear. The taxa in the complex may be able to hybridize readily with each oth ...

in 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 an ...

''. Each member of this species group is native to the

Southwestern United States The Southwestern United States, also known as the American Southwest or simply the Southwest, is a geographic and cultural region of the United States that generally includes Arizona, New Mexico, and adjacent portions of California, Colorado, N ...

and Northwestern Mexico where they are relatively uncommon. Each group member is found in hot, arid regions with low rainfall. They prefer soil that is loose, gravelly, and well-drained. ''C. cylindrata'' is found only in the middle portion of

Baja California Baja California (; 'Lower California'), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California), is a state in Mexico. It is the northernmost and westernmost of the 32 federal entities of Mex ...

, mostly in

Baja California Sur Baja California Sur (; 'South Lower California'), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California Sur ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California Sur), is the least populated state and the 31st admitted state of the 32 federal ent ...

. Botanists Bemis and Whitaker suggest that ''C. cordata'' and ''C. cylindrata'' may be a case of

sympatric speciation Sympatric speciation is the evolution of a new species from a surviving ancestral species while both continue to inhabit the same geographic region. In evolutionary biology and biogeography, sympatric and sympatry are terms referring to organi ...

. The juvenile leaves of ''C. cylindrata'', ''C. cordata'', ''C. digitata'', and ''C. palmata'' show a high degree of similarity, but their mature leaves are visibly different, as are their root structures. ''C. cylindrata'' fruits are dark green, striped, and round. It was first identified 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 Pres ...

in 1943.

References

cylindrata Plants described in 1943 Squashes and pumpkins {{Cucurbitales-stub