Cucurbitaceae
family of plants
The Cucurbitaceae ( kew-KUR-bih-TAY-see-ee), also called cucurbits or the gourd family, are a plant family consisting of about 965 species in 101 genera. Some commonly cultivated cucurbits include:
Cucurbita – squash, pumpkin, zucchini (courgette), some gourds.
Lagenaria – calabash (bottle gourd) and other, ornamental gourds.
Coccinia – the ivy gourd.
Citrullus – watermelon (C. lanatus, C. colocynthis), plus several other species.
Cucumis – cucumber (C. sativus); various melons and vines.
Momordica – bitter melon.
Luffa – commonly called 'luffa' or ‘luffa squash'; sometimes spelled loofah. Young fruits may be cooked; when fully ripened, they become fibrous and unpalatable, thus becoming the source of the loofah scrubbing sponge.
Cyclanthera – Caigua.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Cucurbitaceae” is family of plants. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Cucurbitaceae, family and plants, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “family of plants” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
Vocabulary and entity names are the principal evidence signals here, because they determine the precision of every later search. The source revision retrieved here is dated May 26, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q8314. The Library of Congress control number is sh85034679. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 1 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank.
Overview language is designed for orientation and should not be treated as a substitute for the evidence cited beneath it. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Cucurbitaceae”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Cucurbitaceae primary sources, Cucurbitaceae archive and Cucurbitaceae research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Cucurbitaceae”?
- What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
- Which cited source is closest to the event, object or claim?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Cucurbitaceae” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.