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Cucurbita pepo

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Edible Medicinal And Non-Medicinal Plants

Abstract

Cucurbita pepo is recognised to have originated in Mexico where it was domesticated at least 5,000 years ago and spread over northern Mexico to the southwestern U.S. It is believed that it was domesticated on separate occasions in Mexico and the United States as data from archaeological research and molecular studies suggest that two lineages of domesticated taxa exist in Cucurbita pepo. It was introduced into Europe with other Cucurbita species during the sixteenth century. Zucchini, a popular variety of C. pepo has its origin in Europe, a result of spontaneous mutation called sport. It is believed that this occurred in the late nineteenth century in Italy.

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  1. Norriss Street 49, 2905, Chisholm, Aust Capital Terr, Australia

    Dr. T. K. Lim

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Lim, T.K. (2012). Cucurbita pepo. In: Edible Medicinal And Non-Medicinal Plants. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-1764-0_42

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