''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 '' Cucurbita digitata'' and all these species hybridize readily. It was first identified by

Sereno Watson Sereno Watson (December 1, 1826 in East Windsor Hill, Connecticut – March 9, 1892 in Cambridge, Massachusetts) was an American botanist. Graduating from Yale in 1847 in Biology, he drifted through various occupations until, in California, he j ...

in 1876. These species form the only restricted

xerophyte A xerophyte (from 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 places in the Alps or the ...

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 and ...

''. Each member of this species group is native to the Southwestern United States 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. palmata'' is native to northeastern

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 ...

, southeastern

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

, and southwestern

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

to a point near the

Colorado River The Colorado River ( es, Río Colorado) is one of the principal rivers (along with the Rio Grande) in the Southwestern United States and northern Mexico. The river drains an expansive, arid watershed that encompasses parts of seven U.S. s ...

. 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. palmata'' and ''C. digitata'' are sympatric, with ''C. palmata'' separating the ranges of ''C. digitata'' at the juncture of Baja California, California, and Arizona. ''C. palmata'' fruits are diffuse green mottle that turns yellow at maturity, striped, and round.

Description

''Cucurbita palmata'' is a sprawling vine with rough, stiff-haired stems and leaves. The dark green, light-veined leaves are sharply palmate with usually five long triangular points. The stiff, curling yellow flowers are 6 to 8 centimeters wide. The plant bears smooth spherical or oblate squash fruits 8 to 10 centimeters wide. The fruits may be bright yellow to dark green and may have white stripes. The fruit is distasteful and not edible.

References

External links

Jepson Manual Treatment: ''Cucurbita palmata''''Cucurbita palmata'' — U.C. Photo gallery
palmata Flora of California Flora of Nevada Flora of Arizona Flora of Baja California Flora of Sonora Flora of the California desert regions Flora of the Sonoran Deserts Natural history of the Mojave Desert Flora of the Sierra Nevada (United States) Plants described in 1876 Squashes and pumpkins {{Cucurbitales-stub