Cucurbita (Latin for gourd) is a genus of vines in the gourd family, native to the Andes and Mesoamerica. Five species are grown worldwide, variously known as squash, pumpkin, or gourd depending on species, variety, and local parlance. The fruits have played a role in human culture for at least 2,000 years. First cultivated in the Americas before being brought to Europe by returning explorers, the plants remain an important food source. Most Cucurbita species are herbaceous vines that grow several meters in length and have tendrils, but bush cultivars of C. pepo and C. maxima have also been developed. Many North and Central American species are visited by honey bees, as well as specialist bees that pollinate only a single species. Most of the domesticated species can be considered winter squash, since the full- grown fruits can be stored for months. Their extracts have many uses, including in cosmetics. The fruits are also good sources of vitamins and minerals.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cucurbita> _______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries: 1776: American Revolutionary War: As George Washington's Continental Army retreated northward from New York City, the British Army captured the village of White Plains. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_White_Plains> 1928: Indonesian composer Wage Rudolf Supratman introduced "Indonesia Raya", now the country's national anthem. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indonesia_Raya> 1971: Prospero (flight spare pictured), the first British satellite launched on a British rocket, lifted off from Launch Area 5B in Woomera, South Australia. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prospero_%28spacecraft%29> 1992: Hans-Adam II threatened to dismiss the Landtag of Liechtenstein over disagreements on the date of a referendum for the country's accession to the EEA. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1992_Liechtenstein_constitutional_crisis> 2013: The first terrorist attack in Beijing's recent history took place when members of the Turkistan Islamic Party drove a vehicle into a crowd, killing five people and injuring thirty-eight others. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013_Tiananmen_Square_attack> _____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day: xenelasy: (Ancient Greece, historical) The practice of expelling foreigners in Doric Crete and Lacedaemonia. <https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/xenelasy> ___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day: Reason alone will not serve. Intuition alone can be improved by reason, but reason alone without intuition can easily lead the wrong way. They both are necessary. The way I like to put it is that when I have an intuition about something, I send it over to the reason department. Then after I've checked it out in the reason department, I send it back to the intuition department to make sure that it's still all right. That's how my mind works, and that's how I work. That's why I think that there is both an art and a science to what we do. The art of science is as important as so-called technical science. You need both. It's this combination that must be recognized and acknowledged and valued. --Jonas Salk <https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Jonas_Salk> _______________________________________________ Wikipedia Daily Article mailing list. To unsubscribe write to: [email protected] Questions or comments? Contact [email protected]
