Jump to content

Wikipedia:Today's featured article/requests/Cucurbita

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This is the archived discussion of the TFAR nomination for the article below. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as Wikipedia talk:Today's featured article/requests). Please do not modify this page.

The result was: scheduled for Wikipedia:Today's featured article/October 31, 2015 by  — Chris Woodrich (talk) 09:16, 12 October 2015 (UTC)[reply]

{{{2}}}

Cucurbita (Latin for gourd) is a genus of vines in the gourd family, native to the Andes and Mesoamerica. Five species are grown worldwide, variously known as squash, pumpkin, or gourd depending on species, variety, and local parlance. The fruits have played a role in human culture for at least 2,000 years. First cultivated in the Americas before being brought to Europe by returning explorers, the plants are now important sources of food and oil. Most Cucurbita species are herbaceous vines that grow several meters in length and have tendrils, but bush cultivars of C. pepo and C. maxima have also been developed. Many North and Central American species are visited by honey bees, as well as specialist bees that pollinate only a single species. Most of the domesticated species can be considered winter squash, since the full-grown fruits can be stored for months. Their extracts have many uses, including in cosmetics for dry and sensitive skin. The fruits are also good sources of vitamins and minerals in foods such as pumpkin pie, biscuits, bread, desserts, puddings, beverages, and soups. (Full article...)