Sir, Thank you very much for this informative post. But, i have a question - why *C. pepo* is called 'safed kadu'? Is it white inside?
I have just posted one, thinking it a *C. maxima*,<https://groups.google.com/forum/?fromgroups#!topic/indiantreepix/mQuQIkIuzns>but my species could well be *C. pepo*. The inside of my gourd (my post) is yellow. Thank you & Regards, Surajit Koley On Friday, 6 April 2012 12:18:04 UTC+5:30, Gurcharan Singh wrote: > > Having seen so many cultivars of Cucurbita maxima, C. moschata and C. pepo > in California, and common names pumpkin, squash and gourd being > so interchangeably used for any of these, I found the same confusion > regarding Indian names Petha, kaddu and others being used in local markets. > For one I am happy that the key based on the tip of fruiting pedicel > is very satisfactory in differentiating the fruiting specimens, although > leaves and flowers may not be that reliable. For example in most sample > Cucurbita moschata calyx lobes are foliaceous in specimens that I have seen > in India, they are rarely so in most cultivars in USA. > Yesterday I uploaded photographs of Cucurbita moschata from India sold > as Kaddu, whose plants were earlier uploaded by Balkar i as Cucurbita pepo > but it turned out to be C. moschata > > https://groups.google.com/forum/#!searchin/indiantreepix/Cucurbita$20pepo$20Balkar/indiantreepix/eJaUWApBwMQ/stoK6OBMSfAJ > > The comments yesterday by Ushadi about Kaddu fruits uploaded by me > prompted me to make a revisit to the Keshavpur Sabzi mandi in our > neinghbourhood (a big mandi in West Delhi) today morning. Luckily I could > locate all the three types of so called petha in the market. One is very > distinct especially when you attach Agra before it, the Ash gourd or > white pumpkin, commonly used for making sweet. > > The other two though quite distinct seemed to be more confusing to the > sellers. More than ninety percent sellers called them petha or kaddu, and > one being the younger stage and other the ripe stage of fruit, but finally > one person knew them well: one which can last for more than a month > (Cucurbita moschata), and another which has to be consumed within few days > (Cucurbita pepo) > > *Cucurbita moschata:* Halwa kaddu, kashi phal, mitha kadu, petha-The > fruit is generally large, reaching 50 cm in length, nearly oblong, sking > turning yellowish brown when mature, typical C. moschata constricted pad > below fruit, flesh yellow. This plant was uploaded by me yesterday. Cooked > as vegetable but with slightly sweeter taste, more commonly made into > halwa. I had uploaded this yesterday. I am doing it again for comparison. > Fruit purchased can be kept for more than a month without getting spoilt. > > *Cucurbita pepo: *Gol kaddu, safed kaddu, Villaiti kadu, petha, Kadddu > pumpkin: The fruit is some what depressed to nearly rounded, 20-30 cm > across, pedicel tip with closely attached proecting finger, colour green > with yellowish patches, flesh is pale yellowish white or greenish white. > Commonly cooked as vegetable. The fruit generally plucked when not fully > ripe does not last long. > > I am still looking for another Kaddu from India the Red gourd, mitha > kaddu, Sita Phal but as Cucurbita maxima and not C. moschata. I hope some > one will upload from India in this episode. > > > > > <https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-sY9_QgaXbZo/T36Ed_uJ_iI/AAAAAAAAA2U/IVTv8AKO8hA/s1600/Benincasa-hispida-Keshav-pur-Delhi-1.jpg> > Benincasa-hispida-Keshav-pur-Delhi-1 > > > > <https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-YWCIxeL7pWU/T36NBkwJUsI/AAAAAAAAA2g/jvCXeHuVkEM/s1600/Cucurbita-moschata-Kadu-Vikas-puri-DSC01845-Delhi-1.jpg> > Cucurbita-moschata-halwa Kadu-Kashi > phal-Vikas-puri-DSC01845-Delhi-1 > > > > <https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-4UY3rjPCsh4/T36Pf-l9D7I/AAAAAAAAA3E/hcbDsqeDqWk/s1600/Cucurbita-moschata-kadu-Vikas-puri-DSC01846-Delhi-4.jpg> > Cucurbita-moschata-halwa Kadu-Kashi > phal-Vikas-puri-DSC01846-Delhi-4 > > > > > <https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-Sa0DWOsaLyQ/T36ObbQISiI/AAAAAAAAA2s/ePf0EBVVhL4/s1600/Cucurbita-pepo-Keshav-pur-Delhi-1.jpg> > Cucurbita-pepo-Safed kaddu-Petha-Keshav-pur-Delhi-1 > > > > <https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-l2GDj_2kiSA/T36PCZSKi7I/AAAAAAAAA24/lX8O0tWhANo/s1600/Cucurbita-pepo-Keshav-pur-Delhi-2.jpg> > Cucurbita-pepo-Safed kadu-petha-Keshav-pur-Delhi-2 > > > Gurcharan Singh > > > > > >
