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''Cucurbita maxima'', one of at least five species of cultivated squash, is one of the most diverse domesticated species, perhaps with more cultivated forms than any other crop. Esquinas-Alcazar, J.T. and P.J. Gulick. 1983. Genetic resources of Cucurbitaceae: A global report. 1st ed. Intl. Board Plant Genet. Resour., IBPGR. Rome, Italy. This species originated in South America from the wild ''C. maxima'' ssp. andreana over 4000 years ago Sanjur, O.I., D.R. Piperno, T.C. Andres, and L. Wessel- Beaver. 2002. Phylogenetic relationships among domesticated and wild species of Cucurbita (Cucurbitaceae) inferred from a mitochondrial gene: Implications for crop plant evolution and areas of origin. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 99:535-540. Different squash types of this species were introduced into North America as early as the 16th century. By the American Revolution, the species was in cultivation by Native American tribes throughout the present-day United States. By the early 19th century, at least three varieties are known to have been commercially introduced in North America from seeds obtained from Native Americans. Secondary centers of diversity include India, Bangladesh, Burma, and possibly the southern Appalachians. Banana squash has an elongated shape, with light blue, pink or orange skin and bright orange flesh. Buttercup squash is one of the most common varieties of this winter squash with a turban-shape (a flattish top and dark green skin), weighing 3-5 pounds, and normally heavy with dense yellow-orange flesh. Jarrahdale pumpkin is a pumpkin with gray skin. It is nearly identical to 'Queensland Blue' and 'Sweet Meat' varieties. Kabocha is a Japanese variety. Lakota squash is an American variety. Arikara squash is a heirloom variety of ''C. maxima''. Fruits weigh from four to eleven lbs. The shape of the fruit can be tear-drop or round, and they are colored in a mottled orange and green pattern. It is desired both for its eating qualities and as a seasonal decoration. This variety traces its ancestry to the Arikara tribe of the Dakotas among whom its cultivation predates white settlement. Hubbard squash is another cultivar of this species that usually has a tear-drop shape. They are often used as a replacement for pumpkins. According to one source,Troyer, Loris C.: "Portage Pathways" p. 8, Kent State University Press, 1998 the name comes from Bela Hubbard, settler of Randolph Township, Ohio in the Connecticut Western Reserve. Many other sources list an alternate history.Watson, Ben: "Taylor's Guides to Heirloom Vegetables: A Complete Guide to the Best Historic and Ethnic Varieties" p. 268, 1996, Worrell, Shari Kelley with Norma Lovett Gregory Kelley Flude, Victory Horticultural Library, SaveSeeds.org These sources state that the Hubbard squash (at the time nameless) came to Marblehead, Massachusetts through Captain Knott Martin. A woman named Elizabeth Hubbard brought the fruit to the attention of her neighbor, a seed trader named James J. H. Gregory. Mr. Gregory subsequently introduced it to the market using Mrs. Hubbard's name as the eponym. Gregory later bred and released the Blue Hubbard, which has a bluish-gray skin. The other major variety, the Golden Hubbard squash, has a bright orange skin. Gregory advertisements for the squash date from at least 1859. in ''The Horticulturist, and Journal of Rural Art and Rural Taste'' Volume 14 The Hubbard Squash, including questions regarding the name, is even the subject of a children's ditty, "Raising Hubbard Squash in Vermont".Cady, Daniel Leavens. ''Rhymes of Vermont Rural Life'' , Vermont:The Tuttle company, 1919 The Candyroaster landrace was originally developed by the Cherokee people in the southern Appalachians. Another heirloom variety, it is quite variable in size (10-250+ lbs), shape (round, cylindrical, teardrop, blocky, etc.), and color (pink, tan, green, blue, gray, or orange), yet most have fine-textured orange flesh. In fact, the 'Candyroaster' name was probably a traditional name for the ''C. maxima'' species in order to maintain some degree of varietal purity as different varieties can cross-pollinate at distances of up to a mile whereas different species will not cross even when grown side by side. This variety enjoys continued popularity, particularly in the southern Appalachians.

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