Contents - Previous - Next Botanical name: Cucurbita ficifolia
Common names. English: fig leaf squash. Malabar gourd, cidra,
sidra; Nahuatl: chilacoyote (Mexico, Guatemala); Spanish:
lacoyote (Peru, Bolivia, Argentina), chiverri (Honduras, Costa
Rica), victoria (Colombia) Origin, domestication and
distribution At the end of the last and the beginning of this
century, some authors were suggesting an Asiatic origin for
Cucurbita ficifolia. Since the middle of this century, the
consensus has been that it is of American origin. However, its
centre of origin and domestication are still unknown. Some
authors have suggested Central America or southern Mexico as
places of origin, while others suggest South America, and more
specifically the Andes. Biosystematic studies have been unable
to support the Mexican origin suggested by the distribution of
common names derived from Nahuatl throughout America.
Archaeological vestiges point to a South American origin, since
the oldest remains are Peruvian, but biosystematics ha