The word pumpkin originates from the word pepon, which is Greek for large melon. The French adapted this word to pompon, which the British changed to pumpion and later American colonists changed that to the word we use today, pumpkin.
The origin of pumpkins is not definitively known, although they are thought to have originated in North America. Pumpkins are a squash-like fruit that range in size from less than 1 pound to over 1,000 pounds.
Since some squash share the same botanical classifications as pumpkins, the names are frequently used interchangeably. In general, pumpkins have stems that are more rigid, and squarer than squash stems, which are generally softer, more rounded, and more flared where joined to the fruit.
Pumpkins generally weigh 9–18 lbs with the largest. maxima capable of reaching a weight of over 75 lbs. The pumpkin varies greatly in shape, ranging from oblate through oblong.
Pumpkins are usually orange or yellow, some fruits are dark green, pale green, orange yellow, red or gray.
Pumpkins are monoecious, having both male and female flowers on the same plant. The female flower is distinguished by the small ovary at the base of the petals.
These bright and colorful flowers have extremely short life spans and may only open for as short a time as one day. The color of pumpkins is derived from the orange pigments abundant in them. The main nutrients are lutein.
The largest pumpkins are Cucurbita maxima. They were cultivated from the hubbard squash genotype, crossed with kabocha pumpkin types by enthusiast farmers through intermittent effort since the early 1800s.
Weigh off competitions for giant pumpkins are a popular festival activity. 460 pounds held the world record for the largest pumpkin until 1981 when Howard Dill of Nova Scotia broke the record with a pumpkin near 500 pounds.
Dill patented the seeds used to grow this giant pumpkin, deeming them Dill Atlantic Giant seeds, and drawing growers from around the world. Dill is accredited for all of the giant pumpkins today, most of which are borne from crossing and re crossing his patented seed with other varieties.
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