Bitterroot Restoration

Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Cucurbitales
Family: Cucurbitaceae
Common name: Misti kumrha, Mitha kumrha(Beng.); Pumpkin, Sweet gourd(Eng.).
Life cycle: Annual
Native Range: Native to South America

Cucurbita is a genus in the gourd family Cucurbitaceae first cultivated in the Americas and now used in many parts of the world. Cucurbita maxima, one of at least five species of cultivated squash, is one of the most diverse domesticated species, perhaps with more cultivated forms than any other crop. Banana squash has an elongated shape, with light blue, pink or orange skin and bright orange flesh. Buttercup squash is one of the most common varieties of this winter squash with a turban-shape (a flattish top and dark green skin), weighing 3-5 pounds, and normally heavy with dense yellow-orange flesh. Lakota squash is an American variety. Arikara squash is a heirloom variety of C. maxima. Fruits weigh from four to eleven lbs. The shape of the fruit can be tear-drop or round, and they are colored in a mottled orange and green pattern. Hubbard squash is another cultivar of this species that usually has a tear-drop shape.

There seeds are diuretic, tonic and vermifuge. The complete seed, together with the husk, is used as a vermifuge. This is ground into a fine flour, then made into an emulsion with water and eaten. It is then necessary to take a purgative afterwards in order to expel the tapeworms or other parasites from the body. As a remedy for internal parasites, the seeds are less potent than the root of Dryopteris felix-mas, but they are safer for pregnant women, debilitated patients and children. The oil from the seed is used as a nerve tonic.