Compilation
Cucurbita siceraria

Climber or trailer to 4.5 m.; stem herbaceous, rather densely hairy. Leaves broadly ovate-reniform or suborbicular in outline, cordate, sinuate-toothed, apiculate, hairy beneath and usually also above, 32–230 mm. long, 45–230 mm. broad, undivided or shortly and obscurely palmately 5–9-lobed; lobes rounded; petiole 27–125 mm. long, pubescent, with two small apical lateral conical glands. Tendrils bifid. Monoecious. Male flowers solitary on 75–310 mm. long peduncles; receptacle-tube funnel-shaped, slightly bulbous at the base, pubescent, 11–16 mm. long; lobes linear to triangular, 3–7 mm. long; petals white, opening in the evening, broadly obovate, apiculate, 27–45 mm. long, 18–37 mm. broad; anthers oblong, coherent, included; thecae triplicate, also ± contorted especially in lower part of anther. Female flowers on ± 60–70 mm. long stalks; ovary ovoid, villous, 11–17 mm. long, 6–8 mm. across; receptacle-tube ± 2.5 mm. long; lobes acute, ± 3–3.5 mm. long; petals ± 30 mm. long and 24 mm. broad. Fruit large, subglobose, ellipsoid, lageniform, biventricose, clavate or elongated, up to 130 mm. or more in diameter, green, hairy, fleshy, hard-shelled, indehiscent. Seeds (fig. 6/9, p. 48) oblong, compressed, slightly tapered, slightly 2-horned on the shoulders at the broader end, smooth with 2 flat longitudinal facial ridges fading towards the narrow end and approaching one another medially at the 2-horned end, ± 17 × 7 × 3.2 mm., in some cultivated forms much larger, irregular and ± rugose.