Cucurbita moschata Duchesne (Cucurbitaceae)

Scientific name
Cucurbita moschata Duchesne
Family name
Cucurbitaceae
Common name
Pumpkin (English); kabocha (Japanese)
Local name
Fak-thong
Annual climber, monoecious. Stem scabrid, angular. Tendrils branched. Leaves simple, alternate, softly hairy, with long petiole; blade broadly cordate to triangular, shallowly lobed. Flowers solitary, large. Corolla campanulate, with widely spreading, mostly reflexed lobes; orange-yellow. Flowers staminate on short pedicels. Ovary oblong or discoid, unilocular; style thick, with 3 two-lobed stigmas. Fruit a pepo, stalk hard, smoothly grooved, enlarged at fruit attachment. Seeds numerous, flattened, white or tawny.
Traditional medicinal use
Functionality
Functional constituents
Several local landraces are grown throughout Thailand by various ethnic groups. Selected cultivars are common vegetable crops in Thailand; these prefer full sun and moist, fertile soil. Propagated by direct seed sowing at a recommended spacing of 1.5–2 m. Mature fruits are commonly used as ingredients in various spicy vegetable soups or in stir-fried dishes such as fak thong phat khai. Young shoots, flowers, and fruits are also eaten.
Mature fruits contain 85–91 g water, 0.8–2.0 g protein, 0.1–0.5 g fat, 3.3–11.0 g carbohydrates, 340-7800 IU vitamin A, 0.07–0.14 mg vitamin B1, 0.01–0.04 mg vitamin B2, 0.5–1.2 mg niacin, 6–21 mg vitamin C, 14–48 mg calcium, 70 mg iron, 21–38 mg phosphorus, and 16–34 mg magnesium per 100-g serving.
Flowers
Fruits
Fruits