Missouri Gourd, Buffalo Gourd, Prairie Gourd Cucurbita foetidissima - Cucumis perennis, Cucurbita perennis, Ozodycus perennis

Detailed Listing For
Botanical Name:

Cucurbita foetidissima

Family:

Cucurbitaceae

Genus:

Cucurbita

Species:

foetidissima

Common Name:

Missouri Gourd, Buffalo Gourd, Prairie Gourd

Seeds Per Pound:
13,294
Quantity:
0.81 lb
Average Viable Seeds/Packet:
14
Germination:
98%
Germination Test Type:
Cut (Full Seed)
Purity:
99%
Height:
15-20 feet
Collection Locale:
California
Crop Year:
2022
Minimum Hardiness Zone:
5
In Stock: 0.81 lb
Prices
  • Cucurbita foetidissima

Items are priced on a curve, you can buy any 'bulk quantity' up to what we have in stock, some examples are:
1 packet (~ 14 seeds)
$6.95
10 gram (~ 293 seeds)
$22.50
1 oz (~ 831 seeds)
$39.95
Growing Info, follow in order:
Scarification: none required.
Stratification: none required.
Germination: sow seed 1/4" deep, tamp the soil, mulch the seed bed.
Other: Seed needs warm temperatures after sowing to germinate (75 degrees F +).
In a Nutshell:
* Cucurbita foetidissima is a tuberous xerophytic plant found in the central and southwestern United States and northern Mexico.
* It has numerous common names, including: buffalo gourd, calabazilla, chilicote, coyote gourd, fetid gourd, fetid wild pumpkin, Missouri gourd, prairie gourd, stinking gourd, wild gourd, and wild pumpkin.
* The feral perennial buffalo gourd has evolved in the semiarid regions and is well-adapted to desert environments. It contains high amounts of protein and carbohydrates and yields abundant oil. The carbohydrates that are formed in the tap root have led to the idea of growing the plant for biofuel.
* The fruit is consumed by both humans and animals. When mature, a stage marked by increasing desiccation of vine, leaves, fruit-stem, and fruit, the fruit begins its final gourd stage.
* Cucurbita foetidissima requires little water and grows best in semiarid and arid environments. Warm weather is required during the five- to eight-month vegetation period. This perennial is well adapted to marginal agricultural lands such as sandy loam soils which have to be well-drained. Germination temperature range is between 15 °C and 37 °C with an optimum at 25 °C. more...
* The fruit is eaten 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.
* The seed is eaten 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 30 - 35% protein and 34% oil. An edible oil is obtained from the seed.
* The root is a source of a starch that is used as a sweetener, stabilizer or for making puddings like tapioca. more...
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