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(Last Modified On 7/31/2013)
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(Last Modified On 7/31/2013)
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Species
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Lagenaria siceraria (Molina) Standley
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PlaceOfPublication
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Field Mus. Nat. Hist., Bot. Ser. 3: 435. 1930.
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Synonym
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Cucurbita lagenaria L., Sp. PI. 1010. 1753. TYPE: without locality (LINN 1151.1, microfiche). Cucurbita leucantha Duch. in Lam., Encycl. Meth. Bot. 2: 150. 1786. TYPE: not known. Cucurbita siceraria Molina, Saggio Storia Nat. Chili 133. 1782. TYPE: not known. Lagenaria vulgaris Ser., Mem. Soc. Phys. Geneve 3(1): 25. 1825. TYPE: not known. Lagenaria lagenaria (L.) Cockerell, Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 19: 95. 1892 Lagenaria leucantha (Duch.) Rusby, Mem. Torrey Bot. Club 6: 43. 1896. Lagenaria vulgaris subsp. afrikana Kobiakova, Trudy Prikl. Bot. 23: 1930. TYPE: not known. Lagenaria siceraria var. laevisperma Millan, Darwiniana 7: 196. 1946. TYPE: Uruguay, Rosengurtt (SI, holotype, not seen). Lagenaria bicornuta Chakr., Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 55: 69. 1968. TYPE: Ghana, Chakravarty C1001 (K, not seen).
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Description
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Monoecious, tendriled, high climbing vines; stems thick, angled, pubescent when young, soon glabrescent. Leaves cordate orbicular, 10-40 cm long, nearly or equally as wide, angulate or shallowly 3-lobate, the apex rounded to acute, the base cordate, the margin minutely dentate, chartaceous, the upper and the lower surfaces pubescent, especially on the veins, obscurely white pustulate above, bi- glandular at the base of the blade, the glands small, sessile, elliptic; petioles 6- 10 cm long, striate, pubescent; tendrils 2-branched for ca. 2/: their length, pubes- cent when young, soon glabrescent. Staminate flowers solitary; peduncles about as long as the petiole of the subtending leaf; calyx 2-3 cm long, tomentose, lobes 3-4 mm long, narrowly triangular; petals oblong ovate, spreading, emarginate and mucronate at the apex, 5-nerved, puberulent on both the surfaces; filaments free, glabrate, 3-4 mm long, the anthers 8-10 mm long, free or slightly connate, the theca flexuous; pistillode glanduliform. Pistillate flowers solitary, the pe- duncle subequalling the petiole of the subtending leaf; calyx tube 3-4 mm long, lobes 2-3 mm long, narrowly triangular, tomentose; corolla as in the staminate flowers; ovary ovoid to cylindrical, tomentose, the style short, thick, stigmas 3, bilobate, thick; staminodia 3, ca. 1 mm long. Fruits whitish or yellowish, vari- able in size and shape but generally large, indehiscent, cortex woody, flesh spongy; seeds white, obovate to triangular, 7-20 mm long, compressed, margin- ate, the apex truncate or bidentate, rarely rounded.
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Habit
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vines
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Note
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Lagenaria siceraria is believed to be native to tropical Africa. However, archeological fragments of this species found in the Americas date back to 7000- 5500 B.C. It has been suggested that the fruits floated from Africa to the New World and became established there. However, trans-Atlantic or trans-Pacific migration by primitive people cannot be entirely discounted regarding the spread of this species. The species is extremely variable. Being in cultivation such a long time, numerous forms have been selected. Lagenaria siceraria is commonly referred to as the "bottle gourd" in English speaking countries. In Panama it is referred to as "tule de mate" or "calabaza." In other Spanish speaking countries it is called "tarro," "tecomate," "tecomatillo," "tol," and "bule,"in addition to "calabaza." It is widely used in both the Neo- and Paleotropics to make containers, ladles, musical instruments, and numerous other items of ornamental and everyday use. Although the species is probably widely distributed in Panama, only the following collection was seen during this study.
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Common
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tule de mate calabaza
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Common
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tarro tecomate
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Common
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tecomatillo tol
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Common
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bule calabaza
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Specimen
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COCLE: 01A, Pittier 5028 (US). COLON: Viento Frio, Pittier 4138 (US). PANAM,,A': Isla Espiritu Santo, Duke 10445 ( MO ).
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