Winter squash or pumpkin?

 In another thread a ref was given:

Wiki also says "In Australian English, the name 'pumpkin' generally
refers to the broader category called winter squash in North America."

I had heard that before but didn't want to confuse things even more.
it looks like I need to sort it out.

For the record I am in Australia and these are pumpkins in our
dialect:

http://i1086.photobucket.com/albums/j444/HareScott/The%20garden/AFewPumpkins.jpg

Would these be called winter squash or pumpkin in the US?

We don't have 'winter squash' by that name.  To me a squash is a
cucurbit that is soft-skinned and picked immature, zucchini is a
squash but they come in other shapes and sizes, like button squash
(pattypan) and crookneck.  The skin is green, yellow, near black or
orange.  The flesh is usually pale greenish and translucent and they
don't keep very well outside refrigeration, they generally don't have
creases.  I think you would call these summer squash.  So let us leave
these aside for now.

To me a pumpkin is a cucurbit that is picked mature, has a hard skin
and keeps well outside refrigeration, the flesh is usually yellow to
orange and opaque.  The skin is yellow, orange, grey, blue-grey or
some combination when ripe.  They generally have creases running
longitudinally.  Examples are Queensland blue and the above JAP (Just
Another Pumpkin).

So in the USA how do you distinguish pumpkins from winter squash?  Is
pumpkin a subset of winter squash or are some pumpkins not also winter
squash?

Is there any correspondence between the different common names and the
species of cucurbit?

What about the Banter People, what is a pumpkin in Old Blighty?

David

 

Off the top of my head- I'd call them squash.    In general our
pumpkins are rounder.  Usually orange- but that barrier has been
shattered with white, red, and permanently green ones.

We even have an 'Australian Blue Pumpkin' - that I'd call a squash if
I didn't have the seed packet handy. [it's a Queensland Blue]

OTOH- Atlantic Giant 'pumpkins'- all the record breaking ones we see-
are developed from a Hubbard Squash.   It's a weird dance we do with
words.
 

I think you've got that just right.


In general, pumpkins are a subset. [IMO]    The exception I noted
above is a Hubbard Squash that somehow gets named a pumpkin.

I thought I'd get some help here;
http://www.hort.purdue.edu/rhodcv/hort410/squash/sq00001.htm

But not so much--
"The name squash is often interchanged with that of pumpkin. Most
varieties that are called pumpkin bear orange fruit, have very long
vines, and have stems that are firmer, more rigid, and squarer than
those of other squashes.
The most common pumpkins are varieties of Cucurbita pepo.
The large-fruited pumpkins, weighing up to 400 lb, belong to the
species Cucurbita maxima. "

So some are Cucurbita Pepo, which makes them more closely related to
summer squash.   And some are maxima- though they might be referring
to the Atlantic Giants here, though a 400 pound one would be a real
dissapointment to most growers.

We probably eat most of the pie pumpkins we plant- small, sweet
things.   But I'd bet that as many pumpkins are grown with the
intention of being Halloween decorations.   Or- in the case of the
record breakers- as a curiosity. [and if you get a 600pounder or so,
you can sell the seeds for a few bucks each.]

 

But then where do the candyroasters and cushaws fit in?

 wrote:


I have no idea please elucidate.

D

 

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