Traditional Herbs from Cucurbita moschata

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Take honey pumpkin, wash it thoroughly then cut it into pieces.
Steam or bake the fruit until soft or mushy.
Let it cool then eat.

What is Cucurbita moschata Looks like??

Parts of Cucurbita moschata that could be used

Leaves
Seeds
Flowers
Fruit
Roots

Cucurbita moschata Distribution

Honey gourd is thought to come from Central America and South America although its origin is unclear. Honey pumpkin is a versatile fruit and vegetable. The most common product, popular in most African countries, is cooking from ripe fruit. The fruit is also popular for making pumpkin pie and in Southeast Asia it is made into sweets and desserts, honey pumpkin seeds are roasted with or without the shell and are also salted and eaten as a snack. The seed oil can be eaten and used as fuel. Cucurbita moschata has some medicinal applications in Thailand and China. Fresh crushed seeds are used as an anthelmintic, and are also used for skin infections and inflammation.
Agroecology of Cucurbita moschata
Honey gourd is grown in tropical areas up to an altitude of around 1,800 m above sea level. For optimal growth, high daytime temperatures are needed, above 20 °C and nighttime temperatures above 14 °C. This plant is almost insensitive to photoperiod or shows little reaction to short days, and can grow all year round, although it is usually grown during the rainy season without any irrigation. Able to tolerate some shade. Honey gourd is not very demanding on soil conditions and can be cultivated in almost any moderately fertile, well-drained soil with a neutral or slightly acidic reaction (pH 5.5-6.8). Fairly drought tolerant, but sensitive to frost and waterlogging. Excessive humidity during the rainy season stimulates the development of fungal and bacterial diseases that cause leaf rot, wilting and fruit rot.
Morphology of Cucurbita moschata

Lateral climbing stems, herbaceous, round or obtuse pentagonal equipped with twisted tendrils with 3-4 branches, strongly branched, elongated, initially pubescent, often rooted at the nodes.
Leaves alternate, simple, without stipules; petiole 9\u201324 cm long, grooved; blade broadly ovate in outline, shallow palmate 5-7 lobes, diameter 20\u201335 cm, strongly heart-shaped at base, toothed margin, gently hairy, sometimes with white markings disappearing on senescence, 3-veined from base.
Flowers solitary, unisexual, regular, 5-merous, large, 10-diameter 20 cm, lemon yellow to dark orange; sepals free, subulate to linear, 1�3 cm long, with broadly spreading male flowers (up to 16 cm), with 3 threads anthers, filament-free, anthers usually branched into long hooked bodies; short-stemmed female flowers (up to 3.5 cm), with inferior, ellipsoid, 1-celled ovary, thick style, 3-lobed stigma.
Variable berries large, has a fruit shape like a guitar (dumbbell), flesh is yellow to orange, has many seeds,\u00a0the fruit stalk is enlarged at the top.
Seeds are egg-shaped, flat, 1-2 cm \u00d7 0.5-1 cm, usually white or yellow-brown, sometimes dark, smooth to slightly rough surface, raised edges.

Cultivation of Cucurbita moschata

Generative propagation (seeds). Farmers sow seeds in planting holes on flat ground or beds, 2-4 seeds per hill. Seeds can be sown in containers and seedlings transplanted into the field when they are about 10 cm high, but direct sowing is generally carried out. General spacing is 2 m \u00d7 2 m, giving a plant population of 2,500 hills/ha Seed requirement is 2-3 kg/ha.
Because it is rooted in books, may be grown from cuttings, but this method is not practiced except for research purposes.

Cucurbita moschata, more details :

Chemical Content of Cucurbita moschata
Flavonoids (catechin, hyperoside(quercetin-3-o-galactoside), routine, luteolin-7-o-glucoside, quercetrin(quercetin-3-o-rhamonoside), naringin, apegenin-7-o-glucoside, quercetin, kaempherol, apegenin, luteolin, cirsiliol, cirsilineol, acacetinan), phenolic acids (quinic acid , protocatechuic acid, 4-O-caffeoylquinic acid, caffeic acid, syringic acid, p-coumaric acid, trans-ferulic acid, O-coumaric acid, 4,5-di-O-caffeoyquinic acid, trans-cinnamic acid).
Benefits of Cucurbita moschata
The seeds are an emollient, laxative and vermifuge, eliminate stomach cramps and distension due to worms, safe and effective treatment for tapeworms, reddish stain removal cream, galactagogue, treat bleeding, jaundice, as a cataplasm, treat headaches, treat ophthalmia, and in all types of tumors.
Simplisia of Cucurbita moschata

Another Facts for Cucurbita moschata :

Synonym of Cucurbita moschata
Cucurbita colombiana (Zhit.) BukasovCucurbita hippopera Ser.Cucurbita macrocarpa Gasp.
Habitus of Cucurbita moschata
Herb. Annual climbing herb, stems up to 5 m long
Habitat of Cucurbita moschata