Squash: Cucurbita pepo

Squash, (genus Cucurbita), genus of flowering plants in the gourd family (Cucurbitaceae), many of which are widely cultivated as vegetables and for livestock feed. Squashes are native to the New World, where they were cultivated by indigenous peoples before European settlement. The fruit of edible species is usually served as a cooked vegetable, and the seeds and blossoms may also be cooked and eaten.