Common Name: Buffalo Gourd

General Information

Cucurbita foetidissima is a herbaceous perennial, sprawling or climbing plant producing vigorous stems around 2 - 10 metres long from a large, tuberous rootstock. The stems usually sprawl across the ground, often forming roots at the nodes, but they can support themselves somewhat by means of short, stout tendrils[, ].
The plant has a wide range of uses for the local people, providing food, medicines, soap, material for craftwork etc. Cucurbita foetidissima has been studied as a source of root starch and seed oil and is considered to be a potentially productive crop adapted to arid and semiarid regions[, ].

Known Hazards

The sprouting seed produces a toxic substance in its embryo[].
There is a report that the root is poisonous[].

Botanical References

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Range

Central and South-western N. America - California to Iowa, south to central Mexico

Habitat

Sandy fields and hills, sandsage prairies, dunes, gypsum hills, rocky soil, calcareous clay loam, grasslands, mesquite scrub, pinyon-juniper, floodplain woods, vacant lots, roadsides, railroad banks; at elevations from 100 - 2,000 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Perennial Climber
Height	3.00 m
Growth Rate	Fast
Pollinators	Bees, Insects
Self-fertile	Yes
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

Cucurbita foetidissima is native to N. America, being found as far north as Nebraska and Iowa where it can experience winter temperatures as low as -20 to -25°c. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 20 - 30°c, but can tolerate 5 - 35°c[]. The stems are frost-sensitive, being killed by temperatures below 0°c - the roots, however, are much more cold tolerant, and can survive winter temperatures as low as -25°c[]. The plant prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 400 - 600mm, but tolerates 250 - 1,000mm[].
Requires a rich, well-drained moisture retentive soil and a very warm, sunny and sheltered position[, ]. Prefers a pH in the range 6 - 7, tolerating 5.5 - 8.5[]. Established plants are very drought tolerant[, ].
Plants can be very vigorous. A four year old plant had a main taproot more than 2.5 metres long and 30cm in diameter at the crown, with a fresh weight of 45 kilos[]. Cultivated plants in their third fruiting season have been known to produce over 300 primary stems and more than 200 mature fruits[].
The optimum yield of seed is 2.5 tonnes/ha[].
Plants can live for forty years or more[].
This species does not hybridize naturally with other members of this genus though crosses have been made under controlled conditions[].

Edible Uses

Fruit - cooked[]. Used as a vegetable, it can also be dried for later use[, ]. The young fruit is used, it is bitter and becomes more bitter as it gets older[]. One report says that the fruit contains up to 23% protein[], though this would be very unusual in a fruit[]. The globose to cylindrical fruit is green with white stripes, white-mottled, evenly yellowish to orange-yellow at full maturity, around 5 - 10cm in diameter[].

Seed - raw or cooked[, , , , ]. The seeds can be ground into a powder and used as a thickening in soups or can be mixed with cereal flours when making cakes and biscuits[, ]. Rich in oil with a very pleasant nutty flavour, but very fiddly to use because the seed is small and covered with a fibrous coat[]. The seed contains 22 - 35% protein and averages around 34% oil[183m 1955].

An edible oil is obtained from the seed[]. Oil content is variable. Some plants have produced seed with more than 40% oil, others have been as low as 25%[].. Linoleic acid is the main fatty acid in the seed, ranging from 38 - 65% and averaging around 60% of the oil[].

Root - the source of a starch that is used as a sweetener, stabilizer or for making puddings like tapioca[]. Some caution is advised, see notes on toxicity[].

The flowers are said to be edible after preparation[] but no more details are given.

Medicinal

Buffalo gourd was employed medicinally by many native North American tribes who used it particularly in the treatment of skin complaints[]. It is still employed in modern herbalism as a safe and effective vermicide[].

The leaves, stems and roots are laxative and poultice[, , , ]. The root is used mainly, but some caution is advised because of a report that it can be poisonous[]. A poultice of the mashed plant has been used to treat skin sores, ulcers etc[].

The seeds are vermifuge[, ]. The complete seed, together with the husk, is used. This is ground into a fine flour, then made into an emulsion with water and eaten. It is then necessary to take a purgative afterwards in order to expel the tapeworms or other parasites from the body[]. As a remedy for internal parasites, the seeds are less potent than the root of Dryopteris felix-mas, but they are safer for pregnant women, debilitated patients and children[].

Other Uses

The fruit is used as a soap substitute[, , ]. The fruit is cut up and simmered in water to obtain the soap which can be used for removing stains[]. The fruit can also be dried and stored for later use[]. It is often used with the root which is also a soap substitute[]. The soap is said to be effective in removing stains from clothing[].

The dried fruits have a tough, thick skin. They can be used whole as rattles or can be carved to make ladles, spoons etc[, , ].

The oil and protein in the seeds are suitable for various industrial uses including as water paints, paper coating, adhesives and textile sizing[].

The root is a rich source of starch with industrial potential[, ].

Propagation

Seed - sow early to mid spring in a greenhouse in a rich soil. Germination should take place within 2 weeks. Sow 2 or 3 seeds per pot and thin out to the best plant. Grow them on fast and plant out after the last expected frosts, giving them cloche or frame protection for at least their first few weeks if you are trying them outdoors.
Layering. Plants naturally and quickly form adventitious roots at the leaf nodes if they are in contact with moist soil. These can be used to produce new plants[].