Taxon: Cucurbita foetidissima Kunth

Summary

Genus:

Cucurbita

Family:

Cucurbitaceae

Tribe:

Cucurbiteae

Nomen number:

12590

Place of publication:

F. W. H. A. von Humboldt et al., Nov. gen. sp. 2:98[folio]; 2:123[quarto]. 1817

Protologue link:

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/58728899

Verified:

02/17/2005 ARS Systematic Botanists.

Accessions:

46 (43 active, 2 available) in National Plant Germplasm System. (Map it)

Other conspecific taxa

Autonyms (not in current use), synonyms and invalid designations

Images (1 total. Click on image for more.)

Conservation Status

Reference(s)

Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)
APHIS. Agricultural Risk Management System United States Department of Agriculture.
Bailey, L. H. 1943. Species of Cucurbita. Gentes Herbarum 6:313.
Bemis et al. 1978. The buffalo gourd: a new potential horticultural crop. HortScience 13:235-240.
Bemis, W. P. 1963. Interspecific hybridization in Cucurbita: II C. moschata Poir. × xerophytic species of Cucurbita. J. Heredity 54:285-289.
Correll, D. S. & M. C. Johnston. 1970. Manual of the vascular plants of Texas
DeVeaux, J. S. & E. B. Schultz, Jr. 1985. Development of Buffalo gourd (Cucurbita foetidissima) as a semiaridland starch and oild crop. Econ. Bot. 39:454-472.
Erhardt, W. et al. 2008. Der große Zander: Enzyklopädie der Pflanzennamen 2:1340.
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). 2010. Ecocrop (on-line resource).
Fursa, T. B. & A. I. Filov. 1982. Cucurbitaceae (Citrullus, Cucurbita). Kul't. Flora SSSR 21:205.
Gathman, A. C. & W. P. Bemis. 1990. Domestication of buffalo gourd, Cucurbita foetidissima. In: Bates, D. M. et al., Biology and utilization of the Cucurbitaceae 335-348.
Goffman, F. D. & N. V. Gomez. 1996. Proceedings of the Ninth International Conference on Jojoba and its uses and of the Third International Conference on New Industrial Crops and Products. 225-228.
Kearney, T. H. & R. H. Peebles. 1969. Arizona flora, ed. 2.
Lira-Saade, R. 1995. Estudios taxonómicos y ecogeográficos de las Cucurbitaceae Latinoamericanas de importancia económica. Syst. Ecogeogr. Stud. Crop Genepools 9:1-116. Note: International Plant Genetic Resources Institute (IPGRI)
Markle, G. M. et al., eds. 1998. Food and feed crops of the United States, ed. 2
Martin, W. C. & C. R. Hutchins. 1980. A flora of New Mexico.
McGregor, R. L. et al. (The Great Plains Flora Association). 1986. Flora of the Great Plains.
McGuffin, M., J. T. Kartesz, A. Y. Leung, & A. O. Tucker. 2000. Herbs of commerce, ed. 2 American Herbal Products Association, Silver Spring, Maryland.
McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.
Mohlenbrock, R. H. 1975. Guide to the vascular flora of Illinois.
Munz, P. A. 1974. A flora of southern California.
Nee, M. 1990. The domestication of Cucurbita (Cucurbitaceae). Econ. Bot. 44(3 suppl.):58. Note: mentions
Porcher, M. H. et al. Searchable World Wide Web Multilingual Multiscript Plant Name Database (MMPND) (on-line resource).
Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Rzedowski, J. & G. Rzedowski, eds. 1991-. Flora del Bajio y de regiones adyacentes. Note: both as a wild and adventive
Shreve, F. & I. L. Wiggins. 1964. Vegetation and flora of the Sonoran desert.
Smith, E. B. 1978. An atlas and annotated list of the vascular plants of Arkansas
Steyermark, J. A. 1977. Flora of Missouri.
Whitaker, T. W. & W. P. Bemis. 1964. Evolution in the genus Cucurbita. Evolution 18:553-559.
Wiggins, I. L. 1980. Flora of Baja California.
1961. Webster's third new international dictionary.

Common names

Language	Name	seq	Citation
English	buffalo gourd	1	Gathman, A. C. & W. P. Bemis. 1990. Domestication of buffalo gourd, Cucurbita foetidissima. In: Bates, D. M. et al., Biology and utilization of the Cucurbitaceae 335-348.
English	Missouri gourd	1	Steyermark, J. A. 1977. Flora of Missouri.
English	prairie gourd	1	1961. Webster's third new international dictionary.
German	Prärie-Kürbis	2	Erhardt, W. et al. 2008. Der große Zander: Enzyklopädie der Pflanzennamen 2:1340.
Spanish	calabacilla amarga	2	Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Spanish	calabazilla	2	Munz, P. A. 1974. A flora of southern California.
Spanish	chilicote	2	Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Swedish	bisonpumpa	2	Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)

Distribution

order_code	Status	Continent	Subcontinent	Country	State	Note	Reference
1	Native	Northern America	North-Central U.S.A.	United States	Kansas		McGregor, R. L. et al. (The Great Plains Flora Association). 1986. Flora of the Great Plains.
1	Native	Northern America	North-Central U.S.A.	United States	Missouri		Steyermark, J. A. 1977. Flora of Missouri.
1	Native	Northern America	North-Central U.S.A.	United States	Nebraska	s.	McGregor, R. L. et al. (The Great Plains Flora Association). 1986. Flora of the Great Plains.
1	Native	Northern America	North-Central U.S.A.	United States	Oklahoma		McGregor, R. L. et al. (The Great Plains Flora Association). 1986. Flora of the Great Plains.
1	Native	Northern America	Northern Mexico	Mexico	Chihuahua		McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.
1	Native	Northern America	Northern Mexico	Mexico	Coahuila de Zaragoza		McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.
1	Native	Northern America	Northern Mexico	Mexico	Nuevo León		McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.
1	Native	Northern America	Northern Mexico	Mexico	San Luis Potosí		McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.
1	Native	Northern America	Northern Mexico	Mexico	Sonora		McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.
1	Native	Northern America	Northern Mexico	Mexico	Tamaulipas		McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.
1	Native	Northern America	Northern Mexico	Mexico	Zacatecas		McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.
1	Native	Northern America	Northwestern U.S.A.	United States	Colorado		Lira-Saade, R. 1995. Estudios taxonómicos y ecogeográficos de las Cucurbitaceae Latinoamericanas de importancia económica. Syst. Ecogeogr. Stud. Crop Genepools 9:1-116. Note: International Plant Genetic Resources Institute (IPGRI)
1	Native	Northern America	South-Central U.S.A.	United States	New Mexico		Martin, W. C. & C. R. Hutchins. 1980. A flora of New Mexico.
1	Native	Northern America	South-Central U.S.A.	United States	Texas		Correll, D. S. & M. C. Johnston. 1970. Manual of the vascular plants of Texas
1	Native	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Arkansas		Smith, E. B. 1978. An atlas and annotated list of the vascular plants of Arkansas
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Aguascalientes		McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Guanajuato		Rzedowski, J. & G. Rzedowski, eds. 1991-. Flora del Bajio y de regiones adyacentes. Note: both as a wild and adventive
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Guerrero		McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Hidalgo		McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Jalisco	n.	McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	México		McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Querétaro		McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.
1	Native	Northern America	Southwestern U.S.A.	United States	Arizona		Kearney, T. H. & R. H. Peebles. 1969. Arizona flora, ed. 2.
1	Native	Northern America	Southwestern U.S.A.	United States	California	s.	Munz, P. A. 1974. A flora of southern California.
1	Native	Northern America	Southwestern U.S.A.	United States	Utah	s.	Lira-Saade, R. 1995. Estudios taxonómicos y ecogeográficos de las Cucurbitaceae Latinoamericanas de importancia económica. Syst. Ecogeogr. Stud. Crop Genepools 9:1-116. Note: International Plant Genetic Resources Institute (IPGRI)

Native
Northern America

NORTH-CENTRAL U.S.A.: United States [Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska (s.), Oklahoma]
NORTHWESTERN U.S.A.: United States [Colorado]
SOUTHEASTERN U.S.A.: United States [Arkansas]
SOUTH-CENTRAL U.S.A.: United States [New Mexico, Texas]
SOUTHWESTERN U.S.A.: United States [Arizona, California (s.), Utah (s.)]
NORTHERN MEXICO: Mexico [Chihuahua, Coahuila de Zaragoza, Nuevo León, San Luis Potosí, Sonora, Tamaulipas, Zacatecas]
SOUTHERN MEXICO: Mexico [Aguascalientes, Guanajuato, Guerrero, Hidalgo, Jalisco (n.), México, Querétaro]

Reference(s)

Correll, D. S. & M. C. Johnston. 1970. Manual of the vascular plants of Texas
Kearney, T. H. & R. H. Peebles. 1969. Arizona flora, ed. 2.
Lira-Saade, R. 1995. Estudios taxonómicos y ecogeográficos de las Cucurbitaceae Latinoamericanas de importancia económica. Syst. Ecogeogr. Stud. Crop Genepools 9:1-116. Note: International Plant Genetic Resources Institute (IPGRI)
Martin, W. C. & C. R. Hutchins. 1980. A flora of New Mexico.
McGregor, R. L. et al. (The Great Plains Flora Association). 1986. Flora of the Great Plains.
McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.
Munz, P. A. 1974. A flora of southern California.
Rzedowski, J. & G. Rzedowski, eds. 1991-. Flora del Bajio y de regiones adyacentes. Note: both as a wild and adventive
Smith, E. B. 1978. An atlas and annotated list of the vascular plants of Arkansas
Steyermark, J. A. 1977. Flora of Missouri.

Economic Uses

Usage	Type	Note	Reference
Animal food	fodder		Markle, G. M. et al., eds. 1998. Food and feed crops of the United States, ed. 2
Fuels	petroleum substitute/alcohol	potential	Goffman, F. D. & N. V. Gomez. 1996. Proceedings of the Ninth International Conference on Jojoba and its uses and of the Third International Conference on New Industrial Crops and Products. 225-228.
Human food	oil/fat	potential	Gathman, A. C. & W. P. Bemis. 1990. Domestication of buffalo gourd, Cucurbita foetidissima. In: Bates, D. M. et al., Biology and utilization of the Cucurbitaceae 335-348.
Human food	oil/fat	potential	DeVeaux, J. S. & E. B. Schultz, Jr. 1985. Development of Buffalo gourd (Cucurbita foetidissima) as a semiaridland starch and oild crop. Econ. Bot. 39:454-472.
Human food	starch	potential	Gathman, A. C. & W. P. Bemis. 1990. Domestication of buffalo gourd, Cucurbita foetidissima. In: Bates, D. M. et al., Biology and utilization of the Cucurbitaceae 335-348.
Human food	starch	potential	DeVeaux, J. S. & E. B. Schultz, Jr. 1985. Development of Buffalo gourd (Cucurbita foetidissima) as a semiaridland starch and oild crop. Econ. Bot. 39:454-472.
Medicines	folklore		McGuffin, M., J. T. Kartesz, A. Y. Leung, & A. O. Tucker. 2000. Herbs of commerce, ed. 2 American Herbal Products Association, Silver Spring, Maryland.

Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2026. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
URL: https://npgstest.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=12590. Accessed 17 April 2026.