Decorative or ornamental gourd or squash

''Cucurbita pepo'' is a cultivated plant of the genus ''Cucurbita''. It yields varieties of winter squash and pumpkin, but the most widespread varieties belong to ''Cucurbita pepo'' subsp. ''pepo'', called summer squash.

It has been domesticated in the New World for thousands of years. Some authors maintain that ''C. pepo'' is derived from ''C. texana'', while others suggest that ''C. texana'' is merely feral ''C. pepo''. They have a wide variety of uses, especially as a food source and.. more