From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Hodgsonia male plant
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Cucurbitales
Family: Cucurbitaceae

Cucurbitaceae is a plant family commonly known as melons, gourds or cucurbits. It includes crops such as cucumbers, squashes (including pumpkins), luffas, melons and watermelons. The family is predominantly distributed around the tropics. Its edible fruits were amongst the earliest cultivated plants in both the Old and New Worlds.