Marrow (Cucurbita pepo L.)

	Zucchini	Zucchini in flower with fruit

Distribution, Yield, Use:

• Distribution:
  Grown world-wide as a summer vegetable, especially from the mediterranean area to Asia, and in the USA. Prefers warm, sunny positions and rich soil.
• Yield:
  8-15 kg fruit/plant
• Use:
  vegetable, accompaniment to fried food (boiled, baked, stewed) Contents as pumpkin.

Region of origin: Region of cultivation:

• Cultivation and Breeding:
  The Texan wild marrow, Cucurbita texana, with small hard-skinned fruits, is viewed as an ancestor of the garden marrow. Archaeological finds in Mexico indicate cultivation of the small-seeded varieties around 7000-5000 BC. As soon as 50 years after the discovery of the Americas, numerous cultivated varieties were distributed in Europe. The bushy variety known as zucchini (courgette) produces elongated cucumber-like fruit. In contrast to pumpkin, stems and leaves are mostly very hairy. The flesh of the fruit contains fibres and does not fall apart on boiling.
• Breeding aims:
  Varieties giving a high yield over a long period are required, with a good taste, attractive shape and easy harvesting.

Text by Dr. Wolfgang Schuchert
Adapted to HTML by R.Saedler