Podcasts about Cucurbitaceae

fWotD Episode 2733: Cucurbita Welcome to Featured Wiki of the Day, your daily dose of knowledge from Wikipedia’s finest articles.The featured article for Monday, 28 October 2024 is Cucurbita.Cucurbita (Latin for 'gourd') is a genus of herbaceous fruits in the gourd family, Cucurbitaceae (also known as cucurbits or cucurbi), native to the Andes and Mesoamerica. Five edible species are grown and consumed for their flesh and seeds. They are variously known as squash, pumpkin, or gourd, depending on species, variety, and local parlance. Other kinds of gourd, also called bottle-gourds, are native to Africa and belong to the genus Lagenaria, which is in the same family and subfamily as Cucurbita, but in a different tribe, their young fruits are eaten much like those of the Cucurbita species.Most Cucurbita species are herbaceous vines that grow several meters in length and have tendrils, but non-vining "bush" cultivars of C. pepo and C. maxima have also been developed. The yellow or orange flowers on a Cucurbita plant are of two types: female and male. The female flowers produce the fruit and the male flowers produce pollen. Many North and Central American species are visited by specialist bee pollinators, but other insects with more general feeding habits, such as honey bees, also visit.There is debate about the taxonomy of the genus and the number of accepted species varies from 13 to 30. The five domesticated species are Cucurbita argyrosperma, C. ficifolia, C. maxima, C. moschata, and C. pepo, all of which can be treated as winter squash because the full-grown fruits can be stored for months. However, C. pepo includes some cultivars that are better used only as summer squash.The fruits of the genus Cucurbita are good sources of nutrients, such as vitamin A and vitamin C, among other nutrients according to species. The fruits have many culinary uses including pumpkin pie, biscuits, bread, desserts, puddings, beverages, and soups; they are now cultivated worldwide. Although botanical fruits, Cucurbita gourds such as squash are typically cooked and eaten as vegetables. Pumpkins see more varied use, and are eaten both as vegetables and as desserts such as pumpkin pie.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 10:54 UTC on Wednesday, 6 November 2024.For the full current version of the article, see Cucurbita on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm neural Brian.

There is no getting around it, every summer monsoon when the borderlands come to life it is so exciting! Apodanthera undulata, the crazy melon,  can be easily seen along the roads and out across the land during this season. The clusters of yellow flowers give it away quickly. Those yellow flowers close up pretty quickly later in the morning. You can see the spent and tired flowers in the photo below. And check out the crazy ribbed fruit with the “disagreeable  odor” as noted in Arizona Flora. Hey, it’s melon loco in the Cucurbitaceae! Yay!

Shannon shares insights into the amazing diversity of wonderful, Cucurbitaceae heirloom varieties! We explore open pollinated squash, melon, cucumber and watermelon varieties that have been developed and grown all over the world. Baker Creek Seed Company: www.rareseeds.com Opening tune: 'Beeloved' by Carmen Porter (www.carmenporter.com)

Cucurbitaceae is a family with many familiar and tasty members. In anticipation of the first tune, this episode will focus on the Cucurbita genus. What are the most commonly grown species of the Cucurbita genus? And (briefly) what differentiates them from each other? If you want to chat about squash, hit contact at https://carmenporter.com/

The gardening with Joey and Holly Radio Show heard weekly March - Oct Email your questions to Gardentalkradio@gmail.com Or call 24/7 leave your question at 1-800 927-SHOW https://thewisconsinvegetablegardener.com/ In segment two Joey and Holly help with growing squash Squashes growing and problems Cucurbita Cucurbita is a genus of herbaceous vines in the gourd family, Cucurbitaceae native to the Andes and Mesoamerica. Five species are grown worldwide for their edible fruit, variously known as squash, pumpkin, or gourd, depending on species, variety, and local parlance, and for their seeds Full sun no need to start in doors even when the package says to Summer Squashes Planting Calendar 4-2 weeks before the last frost in spring: start seed indoors for transplanting into the garden later. 2-3 weeks after the last frost in spring: transplant seedlings to the garden. Squash should generally be seeded directly outdoors, when daytime temperatures are at least 65°F and frost risk is low. Seeds may be slow to germinate or rot before germinating at temperatures below 65° F, and germinate best at nighttime temperatures above 55°F. Therefore, squash is considered a fruit. Squash isn't the only plant that gets confused for a vegetable. Other fruits frequently called veggies include tomatoes, eggplants, avocados and cucumbers ( 2 ). Since squash contains seeds and develops from the flower-producing part of a plant, it is botanically a fruit. Vining pumpkins require a minimum of 50 to 100 square feet per hill. Plant seeds one inch deep (four or five seeds per hill). Allow 5 to 6 feet between hills, spaced in rows 10 to 15 feet apart. When the young plants are well-established, thin each hill to the best two or three plants. The best varieties for squash trellising are delicata, acorn, zucchini, and yellow summer. The smaller squashes and gourds do well but winter squash, like turban and butternut, can become too heavy and large for a successful vertical garden without additional support. Typically male flowers open first on a squash vine and are joined in about 7 to 14 days by female blooms. Both male and female flowers last for one day. If your squash vine is blooming but no squash are forming, check to see if you have both male and female blooms present. Blossom End Rot on Squash Those darken, sunken spots on the very bottom of squash are blossom end rot. It’s so common that veggie growers call it BER for short. It’s not a disease but a symptom of calcium deficiency. It occurs due to uneven watering (wet-dry cycles in soil), too-high nitrogen or root damage. You can eat squash with BER—just cut away the problem area. For a quick fix, treat plants with a calcium spray for BER. Keep soil consistently moist; using mulch helps. Test soil when the growing season ends. Amend as needed. Wilted leaves if it is hot and mulch but it can also be a Problems with the vine borer moth Powdery Mildew on Squash Leaves Late in the growing season, a white powdery substance often starts to appear on squash leaves. This is powdery mildew, a fungus disease. Once the disease starts, spraying fungicides controls it, but can’t cure it. Many other plants, including bee balm, lilac and garden phlox, also get powdery mildew and create a source of infection. Homemade prevention strategies, like spraying plants with diluted milk or baking soda, have university research behind them but require faithful application before any mildew appears. The companies that make the show possible Proplugger of https://proplugger.com/ Rootmaker of https://myrootmaker.com/ Us coupon code Radio21 at checkout and save 15% of your order Chapin Manufacturing Inc. of https://chapinmfg.com/ Pomona pectin of https://pomonapectin.com/ Iv organics of https://ivorganics.com/ Dr. JimZ of https://drjimz.com/ Seed Savers Exchange of https://www.seedsavers.org/ Waterhoop of https://waterhoop.com/ Phyllom BioProducts of http://www.phyllombioproducts.com/home.html Happy leaf led of https://happyleafled.com/ Dripworks of https://www.dripworks.com/ Deer defeat https://deerdefeat.com/ use code Radio at check out to save 10% on your order Blue ribbon organics http://blueribbonorganics.com/ Chip Drop of https://getchipdrop.com/ Walton's Inc of https://www.waltonsinc.com/ Tree Diaper of http://www.treediaper.com/ Janie's Mill of https://www.janiesmill.com/ Nature's Lawn and Garden Inc of https://www.natureslawn.com/gardentalk can get 10% off on Aerify Plus by using this link Simply Earth of https://simplyearth.com/ Quick Snap Sprinklers of https://www.quick-snap.com/ Timber Pro Coatings of https://timberprocoatingsusa.com/products/internal-wood-stabilizer/ Bloomin easy plants of https://bloomineasyplants.com/ Tiger Torch of https://www.tigertorchltd.com/ Seedlinked of https://www.seedlinked.com/ Iron Wood Tool Company of https://www.ironwoodtools.com/ Natural green products of https://www.natgreenproducts.com/ EZ Step Products of https://ezstepproducts.com/ Rinsekit Of https://rinsekit.com/ Rincon Vitova of https://www.rinconvitova.com/ Wild Delight of https://www.wilddelight.com/ Bale buster of https://strawbalegardens-com.myshopify.com/collections/balebuster-bale-preparation-formula Soul brew kombucha of https://mysoulbrew.com/ Rescue of https://rescue.com/ Heard on Joy 1340 AM & 98.7 FM Milwaukee, WI Saturdays 7-8 AM CST Replay Saturdays 7-8 PM CST https://tunein.com/radio/Joy-1340-s30042/ Heard on WCRN 830 AM Westborough/Boston, MA Saturdays 8-9 AM EST Replay Sundays 5-6 AM EST https://tunein.com/radio/WCRN-AM-830-Full-Service-Radio-s1112/ Heard on KYAH 540 AM Delta/Salt Lake City, UT Saturdays 1-2 PM MST Reply Sundays 1-2 PM MST https://tunein.com/radio/KYAH-540-s34223/ Heard on KDIZ 1570 AM Minneapolis, MN Saturdays 4-5 PM and replay Sundays 2-3 PM CST http://player.listenlive.co/57071 Heard on WAAM 1600 AM & 92.7 FM Ann Arbor, MI Sundays 7-8 AM EST https://tinyurl.com/p68cvft Heard on WOGO 680 AM & 103.1 FM Chippewa Falls, WI Sundays 9-10 AM CST https://onlineradiobox.com/us/wogo/ Heard on KFEQ 680 AM & 107.9 FM St. Joseph/Kansas City, MO Saturdays 6-7 AM replay Sundays 10-11 AM CST http://www.680kfeq.com/live-stream/ Heard on WNAX 570 AM Yankton SD Sundays 10-11 AM CST bonus play Saturdays 2-3 PM CST (when twins baseball is not on) https://wnax.com/ Heard on WMBS 590 AM & 101.1 FM Uniontown/Pittsburgh/Morgantown PA. Saturday 6-7 AM EST replay Mondays 6-7 PM https://www.radio.net/s/wmbshttps://www.radio.net/s/wmbs Heard on KHNC 1360 AM Johnstown/Denver, CO Cheyenne, WY Saturdays 7-8 AM MST Replay Sundays 5-6 PM MST https://1360khnc.com/

There is only one species of Marah in Arizona, but there seven species in North America and all in are…

There is only one species of Marah in Arizona, but there seven species in North America and all in are found in the west and down into Baja.  Marah gilensis is not uncommon, but I hadn’t seen it in a while, so yahoo! Oh, a couple common names other than wild cucumber are big-root or manroot. The latter derived “from the swollen lobes and arm-like extensions of the unearthed tuber.” That name makes me and my son-in-law Jared giggle. We will always be third graders. Oh, and I thought it was fascinating that the genus Marah is from the Hebrew for bitter. Marah, the town, shows up in Exodus. The traveling and very thirsty Israelites could not drink the bitter water from the well in Marah. When I looked up other species of the genus Marah I found that all parts of the plant had uses among the indigenous tribes of southern Canada to northwestern Mexico, from the bitter root to the fruit. Pretty cool. I forgot to say that Marah is in the gourd family, Cucurbitaceae. It’s monoecious just like the squash or gourds you grow in your garden. So male flower and female flowers on the same plant. Think Ozzie and Harriet; same room, separate beds. The photos are mine. And since I jabber a little about quail as well, a fun little book about our southwestern quail is Gambel’s Quail  by Lynn Hassler and published by Rio Nuevo Publishers. It’s not that old, but you may need to search used book stores. It’s worth it.

There is only one species of Marah in Arizona, but there seven species in North America and all in are found in the west and down into Baja.  Marah gilensis is not uncommon, but I hadn’t seen it in a while, so yahoo! Oh, a couple common names other than wild cucumber are big-root or manroot. The latter derived “from the swollen lobes and arm-like extensions of the unearthed tuber.” That name makes me and my son-in-law Jared giggle. We will always be third graders. Oh, and I thought it was fascinating that the genus Marah is from the Hebrew for bitter. Marah, the town, shows up in Exodus. The traveling and very thirsty Israelites could not drink the bitter water from the well in Marah. When I looked up other species of the genus Marah I found that all parts of the plant had uses among the indigenous tribes of southern Canada to northwestern Mexico, from the bitter root to the fruit. Pretty cool. I forgot to say that Marah is in the gourd family, Cucurbitaceae. It’s monoecious just like the squash or gourds you grow in your garden. So male flower and female flowers on the same plant. Think Ozzie and Harriet; same room, separate beds. The photos are mine. And since I jabber a little about quail as well, a fun little book about our southwestern quail is Gambel’s Quail  by Lynn Hassler and published by Rio Nuevo Publishers. It’s not that old, but you may need to search used book stores. It’s worth it.

The gardening with Joey and Holly Radio Show heard weekly March - Oct Email your questions to Gardentalkradio@gmail.com Or call 24/7 leave your question at 1-800 927-SHOW https://thewisconsinvegetablegardener.com/ In segment 1 Joey and Holly go over - pansies and violas - last until summer's heat fades them. They'll tolerate frost—and even a mild freeze, so don't be shy about planting them early in the spring. Impatiens - Zones: Grown as annuals (can be perennial in Zones 10-11) Colors: Variety - Height: 6-24 inches tall Blooms non-stop from June until frost Attracts birds Prefers loamy soil Keep soil moist, but not waterlogged Best in part or full shade Cosmos Zones: Annual- Colors: Orange, pink, white - Height: Varieties 18-60 inches tall Blooms spring, summer and fall Grows quickly from seed Helps repel mosquitoes Prefers well-drained soil, grows well in dry or sandy gardens Water well, allow to dry between waterings Should be grown in full sun Morning glories - Zones: Annual - Colors: White, purple, pink, red, blue varieties - Height: 6 to 15 feet tall Vine flower Blooms in late summer or early fall Readily self-sowing — be careful where you plant Attracts birds and butterflies Seeds are highly toxic if ingested Prefers moderately fertile, well-drained soil Water weekly during dry periods Plant in full sun Nasturtium Colors: Shades of orange, red, yellow, cream - Height: 8-10 feet tall Quick growing and colorful Blooms May until September Edible leaves and flowers Needs well-drained soil Water regularly, but don’t over-water Plant in full sun Geraniums Zones: 10-11 (grown as an annual elsewhere) - Colors: White, pink, red, lavender, purple, magenta, and rose Height: 3-24 inches tall Low-maintenance color from spring until frost Good for use in window boxes, hanging baskets, containers, or beds Attracts birds Thrives in rich, well-drained soil Watered regularly, but don’t over-water Prefers full sun/afternoon shade in hot climates Snapdragons - Zones: Grown as annuals (can be perennial in Zones 5-10) Colors: White, yellow, pink, red, orange, peach, purple, and violet -Height: 6-15 inches tall Blooms from spring through fall in cool summer growing conditions Attracts butterflies Prefers well-drained soil Water regularly at the base of the plant Best in full sun Marigolds Zones: Annual Colors: Shades of yellow, red, gold, and mixed Height: 6 inches to 3 feet tall Blooms spring, summer and fall Grows quickly from seed Helps repel mosquitoes Prefers well-drained soil, grows well in dry or sandy gardens Water well, allow to dry between waterings Should be grown in full sun In segment two Joey and Holly help with growing squash Squashes growing and problems Cucurbita Cucurbita is a genus of herbaceous vines in the gourd family, Cucurbitaceae native to the Andes and Mesoamerica. Five species are grown worldwide for their edible fruit, variously known as squash, pumpkin, or gourd, depending on species, variety, and local parlance, and for their seeds Full sun no need to start in doors even when the package says to Summer Squashes Planting Calendar 4-2 weeks before the last frost in spring: start seed indoors for transplanting into the garden later. 2-3 weeks after the last frost in spring: transplant seedlings to the garden. Squash should generally be seeded directly outdoors, when daytime temperatures are at least 65°F and frost risk is low. Seeds may be slow to germinate or rot before germinating at temperatures below 65° F, and germinate best at nighttime temperatures above 55°F. Therefore, squash is considered a fruit. Squash isn't the only plant that gets confused for a vegetable. Other fruits frequently called veggies include tomatoes, eggplants, avocados and cucumbers ( 2 ). Since squash contains seeds and develops from the flower-producing part of a plant, it is botanically a fruit. Vining pumpkins require a minimum of 50 to 100 square feet per hill. Plant seeds one inch deep (four or five seeds per hill). Allow 5 to 6 feet between hills, spaced in rows 10 to 15 feet apart. When the young plants are well-established, thin each hill to the best two or three plants. The best varieties for squash trellising are delicata, acorn, zucchini, and yellow summer. The smaller squashes and gourds do well but winter squash, like turban and butternut, can become too heavy and large for a successful vertical garden without additional support. Typically male flowers open first on a squash vine and are joined in about 7 to 14 days by female blooms. Both male and female flowers last for one day. If your squash vine is blooming but no squash are forming, check to see if you have both male and female blooms present. Blossom End Rot on Squash Those darken, sunken spots on the very bottom of squash are blossom end rot. It’s so common that veggie growers call it BER for short. It’s not a disease but a symptom of calcium deficiency. It occurs due to uneven watering (wet-dry cycles in soil), too-high nitrogen or root damage. You can eat squash with BER—just cut away the problem area. For a quick fix, treat plants with a calcium spray for BER. Keep soil consistently moist; using mulch helps. Test soil when the growing season ends. Amend as needed. Wilted leaves if it is hot and mulch but it can also be a Problems with the vine borer moth Powdery Mildew on Squash Leaves Late in the growing season, a white powdery substance often starts to appear on squash leaves. This is powdery mildew, a fungus disease. Once the disease starts, spraying fungicides controls it, but can’t cure it. Many other plants, including bee balm, lilac and garden phlox, also get powdery mildew and create a source of infection. Homemade prevention strategies, like spraying plants with diluted milk or baking soda, have university research behind them but require faithful application before any mildew appears. In Segment three Joey and Holly welcome Their guest author Jessica Walliser https://www.jessicawalliser.com/ Jessica Walliser is an author, garden blogger, columnist, and all around horticultural and botanical enthusiast. She lives in Pittsburgh, PA with her family. 1. Most people know bees are endangered, other than planting flowers and flowering plants, what are some ways to help bees? 2. In your newest book, Plant Partners - Science Based Companion Planting Strategies, you talk about the actual science behind true companion planting, what was the most surprising or unique companion planting technique you've learned while writing this book? 3. Many of us have heard of polyculture and its increasing plant biodiversity - does companion planting do the same? Is it a similar science? 4. What are some well known good bugs most people would have in their garden? How can more of those good bugs be attracted? 5. Many people struggle with keeping their containers watered, especially during the peak of summer, what are some good irrigation/watering techniques for containers? 6. How can we find out more about you? Is segment four Joey and Holly answer gardeners questions Greg from IL writes in who listens via podcast Hi! Love the show, it has been super helpful! Last year was my first year gardening, this year I am trying to start many of my plants from seeds. I have some pink plume celery started, they are in nutrient dense soil, are in a tray that waters from the bottom, they are under a grow light for 16 hours per day and I have a floor fan blowing on them. Many of the seedlings are still falling over! The light is probably 4 inches above the seedlings. What could be the cause of them not doing well? Thanks! Thank you for your email and the kind words about the show we are happy that the show has been helpful for you. Based on your description of the situation my initial thought is that the plants are experiencing a disease called dampening off this is when the plants grow A few inches and then fall over at soil level and die off.The main cause is to much moisture. I would allow the soil to dry out much more than you are allowing it too. Also sprinkling cinnamon over the soil to help prevent the damping off. Q My wife and I work together on Tuesday and Saturday . We listen to you on our way to work. We are looking for an accurate PH meter for testing our garden beds and lawn areas. We bought a 110 year old house four years ago and we are looking at improving the lawn for greener grass and garden beds for flowers only. We only plant perennials. There is way too much animal life for outdoor vegetables and we both work two jobs. All of the reviews we have read suggest that there are no accurate PH meters for any price and the testing strips are just as bad. They suggest that you send the soil samples to a university for testing. Is this your experience as well? Love your show! To get the most accurate data sending samples off to a lab is the best either from your local university or we also suggest https://www.mysoilsavvy.com/online-store/Soil-Savvy%E2%84%A2-p117274169 Your university may be cheaper to do soil testing. That said once you get that information you have a baseline in which you can buy a ph meter yes the cheap ones do give you a reading not as reliable as the more hi tech ones. You get your results from the lab then you can take your ph tester and test the ph to see how far off your meter is or is not. Then you know next year or the next time you can use your meter and know it is let's say +.2 off of what a lab result would be. so if the meter read 7.2 you know it is right around 7.0 Getting a baseline from a soil test then using a ph meter and knowing the Accuracy range based on the soil test we think is the best way to go then the meter can be used over and over. A soil test from a local university from multiple areas of the yard would be the best accuracy. Choose where you’ll be putting perennials and also the lawn, test those areas. PH meters can be helpful, but a soil test itself is more accurate. Q So, you CAN rutabagas in the spring? How soon? I just got some seeds and it's the end of Jan, can I still plant these seeds and get rutabagas this spring? That would be AWESOME!" A:Yes you can plant them as soon as the soil warm up enough in your area The companies that make the show possible Proplugger of https://proplugger.com/ Rootmaker of https://myrootmaker.com/ Us coupon code Radio21 at checkout and save 15% of your order Chapin Manufacturing Inc. of https://chapinmfg.com/ Pomona pectin of https://pomonapectin.com/ Iv organics of https://ivorganics.com/ Dr. JimZ of https://drjimz.com/ Seed Savers Exchange of https://www.seedsavers.org/ Waterhoop of https://waterhoop.com/ Phyllom BioProducts of http://www.phyllombioproducts.com/home.html Happy leaf led of https://happyleafled.com/ Dripworks of https://www.dripworks.com/ Deer defeat https://deerdefeat.com/ use code Radio at check out to save 10% on your order Blue ribbon organics http://blueribbonorganics.com/ Chip Drop of https://getchipdrop.com/ Walton's Inc of https://www.waltonsinc.com/ Tree Diaper of http://www.treediaper.com/ Janie's Mill of https://www.janiesmill.com/ Nature's Lawn and Garden Inc of https://www.natureslawn.com/gardentalk can get 10% off on Aerify Plus by using this link Simply Earth of https://simplyearth.com/ Quick Snap Sprinklers of https://www.quick-snap.com/ Timber Pro Coatings of https://timberprocoatingsusa.com/products/internal-wood-stabilizer/ Bloomin easy plants of https://bloomineasyplants.com/ Tiger Torch of https://www.tigertorchltd.com/ Seedlinked of https://www.seedlinked.com/ Iron Wood Tool Company of https://www.ironwoodtools.com/ Natural green products of https://www.natgreenproducts.com/ EZ Step Products of https://ezstepproducts.com/ Rinsekit Of https://rinsekit.com/ Rincon Vitova of https://www.rinconvitova.com/ Wild Delight of https://www.wilddelight.com/ Bale buster of https://strawbalegardens-com.myshopify.com/collections/balebuster-bale-preparation-formula Soul brew kombucha of https://mysoulbrew.com/ Rescue of https://rescue.com/ Heard on Joy 1340 AM & 98.7 FM Milwaukee, WI Saturdays 7-8 AM CST Replay Saturdays 7-8 PM CST https://tunein.com/radio/Joy-1340-s30042/ Heard on WCRN 830 AM Westborough/Boston, MA Saturdays 8-9 AM EST Replay Sundays 5-6 AM EST https://tunein.com/radio/WCRN-AM-830-Full-Service-Radio-s1112/ Heard on KYAH 540 AM Delta/Salt Lake City, UT Saturdays 1-2 PM MST Reply Sundays 1-2 PM MST https://tunein.com/radio/KYAH-540-s34223/ Heard on KDIZ 1570 AM Minneapolis, MN Saturdays 4-5 PM and replay Sundays 2-3 PM CST http://player.listenlive.co/57071 Heard on WAAM 1600 AM & 92.7 FM Ann Arbor, MI Sundays 7-8 AM EST https://tinyurl.com/p68cvft Heard on WOGO 680 AM & 103.1 FM Chippewa Falls, WI Sundays 9-10 AM CST https://onlineradiobox.com/us/wogo/ Heard on KFEQ 680 AM & 107.9 FM St. Joseph/Kansas City, MO Saturdays 6-7 AM replay Sundays 10-11 AM CST http://www.680kfeq.com/live-stream/ Heard on WNAX 570 AM Yankton SD Sundays 10-11 AM CST bonus play Saturdays 2-3 PM CST (when twins baseball is not on) https://wnax.com/ Heard on WMBS 590 AM & 101.1 FM Uniontown/Pittsburgh/Morgantown PA. Saturday 6-7 AM EST replay Mondays 6-7 PM https://www.radio.net/s/wmbshttps://www.radio.net/s/wmbs Heard on KHNC 1360 AM Johnstown/Denver, CO Cheyenne, WY Saturdays 7-8 AM MST Replay Sundays 5-6 PM MST https://1360khnc.com/

Today I'll talk about the difference between gourds and squash. We'll also celebrate the man whose philanthropy made the Arnold Arboretum possible. We’ll recognize the painter who said flowers made him paint freely. We salute the English author who gave us a lovely poem called The Garden Year. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a cookbook from two chefs who teach authentic, seasonal cooking with ingredients from your garden in the most delicious and perfect ways possible. And then we’ll wrap things up with the English naturalist who campaigned and won Green Spaces for England and her work lead to the National Trust.   Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart To listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to “Play the latest episode of The Daily Gardener Podcast.” And she will. It's just that easy.   The Daily Gardener Friday Newsletter Sign up for the FREE Friday Newsletter featuring: A personal update from me Garden-related items for your calendar The Grow That Garden Library™ featured books for the week Gardener gift ideas Garden-inspired recipes Exclusive updates regarding the show and more. Plus, each week, one lucky subscriber wins a book from the Grow That Garden Library™ bookshelf.   Gardener Greetings Send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes, and so forth to Jennifer@theDailyGardener.org.   Curated News The Same Mobile Protein Governs Seed Size And Inflorescence Structure | Botany One | Hugh Dickinson   Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and blog posts for yourself, you're in luck because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community.   So, there’s no need to take notes or search for links. The next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community, where you’d search for a friend… and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group.   Important Events December 3, 1492   On this day, Christopher Columbus noted in his diary: "I climbed a mountain and came to level ground, which was sown with many different crops and gourds." The gourds Columbus was referring to were actually squashes that were turned into utensils. Many people confuse gourds and squash. So here’s a little gourd and squash trivia to keep your knowledge of gourds and squash sharp. Gourds and squash are members of the Cucurbitaceae ("coo-kur-bi-TAY-see-ee") plant family, including over 700 species. Both squash and gourds are fruits because they are part of the flower that contains the seeds, and like grapes, they grow on a vine. The fruits of gourds, squashes, and pumpkins are berries known as a pepo (“pee-poh”). Loofahs are a type of gourd, and they come from the inside of a gourd. Pumpkin is a squash. And while most gourds are not suitable to eat, squash has a mild taste and is delicious. The main difference between summer squash and winter squash is how long they can be stored. Summer squashes are soft-skinned, they're harvested in the summer, and they need to be eaten quickly (i.e., zucchini and yellow crookneck squash). Winter squashes are hard-shelled squashes that can be stored for months (i.e., acorn squash). Here’s a little gourd joke: What vegetable keeps your garden safe? A security gourd. Lastly, if you enjoy puns, gourd puns abound on the internet, and they are truly the worst puns. "You’d butternut forget to grow gourds… because they’re ‘gourd’geous!"   December 3, 1868 Today is the anniversary of the death of the wealthy businessman, philanthropist, and botanist James Arnold. James is the namesake for Harvard's Arnold Arboretum - the very first arboretum in the United States. James was born to a Quaker family in Providence, Rhode Island. In 1807, James married Sarah Rotch. Had James not married Sarah, there would have probably never been an Arnold Arboretum. Sarah's father was part of an exceptionally wealthy whaling family, and James eventually became a partner in his father-in-law's business. James used his wealth to buy an 11-acre estate in New Bedford, Massachusetts. As Quakers, James, and Sarah focused less on making their home ostentatious and more on developing their gardens. Together James and Sarah searched for interesting plants and trees for their home gardens during their many trips to Europe. And history tells us that the Arnold property was so stunning that the gardens were open to the public on Sundays. In 1857, even the writer Herman Melville visited the garden. The Unitarian minister, William Potter, called the Arnold estate, "...the most conspicuous among all our homes for culture, for hospitality, for charity." As both James and Sarah loved gardening and plants, their friends included many naturalists of their time: John James Audubon, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, and Bronson Alcott (Louisa May Alcott’s father). When James died in 1868, as part of his will, he left $100,000 in the hands of three trustees: Francis Parker, John James Dixwell, and George Emerson. Emerson and Dixwell personally knew Asa Gray at Harvard, and they also knew that Harvard needed a Botanic Garden. James Arnold’s trustees included a bodacious mission for the Arboretum: to collect every kind of tree and shrub that would grow outdoors in Massachusetts. By 1873, Charles Sprague Sargent was hired to be the director of the Arnold Arboretum - a position he would hold for over four decades. And James Arnold’s gift and Charles Sprague Sargent’s leadership created the world-class arboretum we enjoy today.   December 3, 1919 Today is the anniversary of the death of the impressionist painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir. Pierre-Auguste Renoir said, when he was painting flowers, he was able to paint, “freely and boldly without the mental effort, he made with a model.” He also said, “If you paint the leaf on a tree without using a model, your imagination will only supply you with a few leaves… But nature offers you millions, all on the same tree. … The artist who paints only what is in his mind must very soon repeat himself.” It was Renoir who said, “What seems most significant to me about [Impressionism] is that we have freed painting from the importance of the subject. I am at liberty to paint flowers and call them flowers, without their needing to tell a story.” And speaking of stories, there's a little-known story about Renoir. For many years, he hung a sign on his garden gate which read, "No Renoirs sold here. Beware the dog."   Unearthed Words January brings the snow, Makes our feet and fingers glow. February brings the rain, Thaws the frozen lake again. March brings breezes, loud and shrill, To stir the dancing daffodil. April brings the primrose sweet, Scatters daisies at our feet. May brings flocks of pretty lambs Skipping by their fleecy dams. June brings tulips, lilies, roses, Fills the children’s hands with posies. Hot July brings cooling showers, Apricots and gillyflowers. August brings the sheaves of corn, Then the harvest home is borne. Warm September brings the fruit; Sportsmen then begin to shoot. Fresh October brings the pheasant; Then to gather nuts is pleasant. Dull November brings the blast; Then the leaves are whirling fast. Chill December brings the sleet, Blazing fire and Christmas treat. — Sara Coleridge, English author, The Garden Year   Grow That Garden Library Earth to Table by Jeff Crump and Bettina Schormann This book came out in 2018, and the subtitle is Cooking with Good Ingredients Through the Seasons. In this book, Slow Food advocates and accomplished chefs Jeff Crump and Bettina Schormann create approachable everyday recipes with the garden harvest. This book was a 2018 Winner for Excellence in Book Design - which is a feature that readers will notice right away when they get this cookbook. By advocating for a seasonal approach to cooking, Jeff and Bettina show you how to seek out the freshest ingredients for your prep table and dining table. Earth to Table Every Day features 140 wholesome, effortless, everyday recipes. I love Jeff and Bettina’s cookbook because they infuse their book with brilliant stories and gorgeous photography that makes their recipes compelling and memorable. My favorites include Arugula and Fennel Salad, Mushroom Tarts, Creamy Hummus with Fried Chickpeas, Buttermilk Fried Chicken, Apple Bacon Pizza, Rhubarb Upside Down Cake, Chocolate Brownies, and Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake. This book is 288 pages of authentic, seasonal cooking from two chefs dedicated to making and using ingredients from the garden in the most delicious and perfect ways possible. You can get a copy of Earth to Table by Jeff Crump and Bettina Schormann and support the show using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for around $18   Today’s Botanic Spark Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart December 3, 1838 Today is the birthday of the English activist, conservationist, and naturalist Octavia Hill. From the time she was 13 years old, Octavia worked to make life better for the working class. As Octavia matured, she crystalized her advocacy. And one of Octavia’s most passionate causes was getting access to nature for all of the folks living in large cities like London. Historical records tell us that Octavia was a small woman, she didn’t care a lick for fashion, and she had beautiful brown eyes. She was also an exceptional speaker and persuasive advocate, as is evident by a comment the Bishop of London made after meeting with Octavia, "She spoke for half an hour … I never had such a beating in all my life." In 1884, Octavia's sister and fellow activist Miranda Hill remarked, “It has come to the point when two peers and a cabinet minister call and consult her in one week.” Octavia’s work to save green spaces throughout England led to the establishment of the National Trust. It was Octavia Hill who said, “The need of quiet, the need of air, the need of exercise, and, I believe, the sight of sky and of things growing, are human needs, common to all…” And finally, gardeners will chuckle at this little passage from a letter Octavia wrote to her sister, Gertrude, on October 22, 1852: “Oh, Gertrude! I am so happy, so very very happy. I wish you were with me. You would so love all my beautiful things... I have a little room, all to myself. When anything is wrong or unjust downstairs, I have only to come up into my own little room, and it is so still... I usually have some flowers, for the ladies are very kind in bringing me them. I have a few poor little plants that I am fond of. Then I have eleven dear little snails. They are such darlings.”   Thanks for listening to The Daily Gardener. And remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."

There are several species of Marah found in the western US, but only M. gilensis in Arizona. I call it…

Crop Rotation Strategies If you fail to incorporate effective crop rotation strategies in the vegetable garden, you can experience recurring pests and disease problems that will become greater year after year. It is crucial to establish the right crop rotation strategies to eliminate these problems. Our goal is to not plant the same family of crops in the same spot in consecutive years. Crops in the Same Family Travis shows a comprehensive list of vegetables and their respective families. The first family of crops is Solanaceae, commonly known as the nightshades. This family includes popular vegetable crops like tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, and potatoes. Most folks don't realize that potatoes are closely related to the other crops in the nightshade family. As a result, you wouldn't want to plant tomatoes, peppers or eggplant in the same spot as potatoes in a given year. If you are not careful to rotate these crops, you will almost certainly experience some blight issues that will intensify over time. The next family is Cucurbitaceae, also known as the Cucurbits. This family includes crops like summer squash, winter squash, pumpkins, cucumbers, watermelons, cantaloupes, and gourds. All of the crops in the Cucurbit family can have issues with powdery mildew and downy mildew, so rotating these crops ensures those disease problems will not increase year after year. Cucurbits also tend to have high insect pressure with pests like squash bugs, squash vine borers and pickle worms. The next family is the Brassicas, which is one of the most popular families of crops grown in the vegetable garden. The brassica family includes mustards, cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli, kohlrabi, bok choy, rutabagas, turnips, and radishes. Brassicas can have recurring pest issues if not rotated properly, especially with worms that will chew and eat the plant leaves. Below is a list of all the important crop families for a vegetable garden: Nightshades: Tomatoes Eggplants Peppers Potatoes Cucurbits: Summer Squash Winter Squash Pumpkins Cucumbers Watermelon Cantaloupes Gourds Brassicas: Mustard Cabbage Cauliflower Broccoli Turnips Kohlrabi Radish Rutabagas Boy Choy Alliums: Onions Shallots Leeks Garlic Scallions Chives Legumes: Beans English Peas Winter Peas Field Peas Peanuts Clover Sunn Hemp Hairy Vetch Umbellifers: Carrots Cilantro Celery Parsley Dill Parsnips Amaranth: Beets Chard Spinach Pigweed Grasses: Corn Wheat Barley Sorghum Sudangrass Mallow: Okra Cotton Hibiscus Show and Tell Segment On the show and tell segment, the guys sample a few varieties of raw greens including Tatsoi, Arugula, and Savanna Mustard. Greg provides an update on his multiplying onions and guinea nest onions from the garden. He also discusses the Ghost Peppers that are now available. He mentions they are limited and will sell quickly. The guys also mention that 20 more seed varieties will be added by the end of January. Viewer Questions Segment On the question and answer segment this week, the guys answer questions about seed starting schedules, cleaning seed trays, favorite tomato varieties, and moving plants from the greenhouse. Travis mentions that his ideal seed starting schedule is to plant early spring crops such as lettuce, cabbage, cauliflower, etc., now. And he'll start planting peppers in late January or early February. In mid-February, he will start planting tomatoes and eggplants, and towards the end of February start planting okra, watermelons, pumpkins, zinnias, and sunflowers. Greg says that he never really cleans his trays using bleach or anything. However, he does let his trays dry completely for a few days or weeks before planting again. The guys mention that their favorite tomato for flavor is the Sun Gold variety and the Bella Rosa variety for ...

Crop Rotation Strategies If you fail to incorporate effective crop rotation strategies in the vegetable garden, you can experience recurring pests and disease problems that will become greater year after year. It is crucial to establish the right crop rotation strategies to eliminate these problems. Our goal is to not plant the same family of crops in the same spot in consecutive years. Crops in the Same Family Travis shows a comprehensive list of vegetables and their respective families. The first family of crops is Solanaceae, commonly known as the nightshades. This family includes popular vegetable crops like tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, and potatoes. Most folks don't realize that potatoes are closely related to the other crops in the nightshade family. As a result, you wouldn't want to plant tomatoes, peppers or eggplant in the same spot as potatoes in a given year. If you are not careful to rotate these crops, you will almost certainly experience some blight issues that will intensify over time. The next family is Cucurbitaceae, also known as the Cucurbits. This family includes crops like summer squash, winter squash, pumpkins, cucumbers, watermelons, cantaloupes, and gourds. All of the crops in the Cucurbit family can have issues with powdery mildew and downy mildew, so rotating these crops ensures those disease problems will not increase year after year. Cucurbits also tend to have high insect pressure with pests like squash bugs, squash vine borers and pickle worms. The next family is the Brassicas, which is one of the most popular families of crops grown in the vegetable garden. The brassica family includes mustards, cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli, kohlrabi, bok choy, rutabagas, turnips, and radishes. Brassicas can have recurring pest issues if not rotated properly, especially with worms that will chew and eat the plant leaves. Below is a list of all the important crop families for a vegetable garden: Nightshades: Tomatoes Eggplants Peppers Potatoes Cucurbits: Summer Squash Winter Squash Pumpkins Cucumbers Watermelon Cantaloupes Gourds Brassicas: Mustard Cabbage Cauliflower Broccoli Turnips Kohlrabi Radish Rutabagas Boy Choy Alliums: Onions Shallots Leeks Garlic Scallions Chives Legumes: Beans English Peas Winter Peas Field Peas Peanuts Clover Sunn Hemp Hairy Vetch Umbellifers: Carrots Cilantro Celery Parsley Dill Parsnips Amaranth: Beets Chard Spinach Pigweed Grasses: Corn Wheat Barley Sorghum Sudangrass Mallow: Okra Cotton Hibiscus Show and Tell Segment On the show and tell segment, the guys sample a few varieties of raw greens including Tatsoi, Arugula, and Savanna Mustard. Greg provides an update on his multiplying onions and guinea nest onions from the garden. He also discusses the Ghost Peppers that are now available. He mentions they are limited and will sell quickly. The guys also mention that 20 more seed varieties will be added by the end of January. Viewer Questions Segment On the question and answer segment this week, the guys answer questions about seed starting schedules, cleaning seed trays, favorite tomato varieties, and moving plants from the greenhouse. Travis mentions that his ideal seed starting schedule is to plant early spring crops such as lettuce, cabbage, cauliflower, etc., now. And he'll start planting peppers in late January or early February. In mid-February, he will start planting tomatoes and eggplants, and towards the end of February start planting okra, watermelons, pumpkins, zinnias, and sunflowers. Greg says that he never really cleans his trays using bleach or anything. However, he does let his trays dry completely for a few days or weeks before planting again. The guys mention that their favorite tomato for flavor is the Sun Gold variety and the Bella Rosa variety for ...

The origins of the Jack' o' Lantern. Intro and outro music is from bensound. Research: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack-o%27-lantern https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/the-history-of-jack-o-lantern https://www.history.com/news/history-of-the-jack-o-lantern-irish-origins https://www.etymonline.com/word/Jack-o'-lantern#etymonline_v_1626 Paris, H.S. (1989). "Historical records, origins, and development of the edible cultivar groups of Cucurbita pepo (Cucurbitaceae)". Economic Botany. 43 (4): 423–443. doi:10.1007/bf02935916. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/4385812.stm http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/4383216.stm Mark Hoerrner (2006). "History of the Jack-O-Lantern". buzzle.com. Retrieved 2007-05-09. Poe, R.H.; Hart, R.M.; Foster, K.; Noyes, L. (1990). You Can Carve Fantastic Jack-O-Lanterns. Storey Communications. ISBN 978-0-88266-580-1. Arnold, Bettina (2001-10-31). "Bettina Arnold – Halloween Lecture: Halloween Customs in the Celtic World". Halloween Inaugural Celebration. University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee: Center for Celtic Studies. Archived from the original on 2011-06-24. Retrieved 2007-10-16. Social Networks: Twitter: https://twitter.com/Wolfiebits99 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wolfiesartadventure/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/shadowwolfform99

A sure sign that Fall is here is that pumpkin is everywhere! From coffee drinks and baked goods to jack-o-lanterns–yes, everywhere! But how much do you know about pumpkins?   Pumpkin — fruit or vegetable?  Pumpkin (Cucurbita Maxima) is technically a fruit. It’s a type of winter squash in the same plant family (Cucurbitaceae) as … The post All About Pumpkin! Health Benefits and, of Course, Pumpkin Recipes! (VZ 331) appeared first on Vegetarian Zen.

Let me see... I told you it’s in the Cucurbitaceae and that it’s monoecious just like the squash you grow in your garden, so flowers of different sex are found on the same plant It’s like Ozzie and Harriet…same bedroom, but separate beds.

There is only one species of Marah in Arizona, but there seven species in North America and all in are found in the west and down into Baja.

This dissertation addresses the application of the statistical computing language R in the study of evolution and diversification of plants. The topics included range from the worldwide historical biogeography of the cucurbit family and the phylogenetic composition of the Mediterranean Oxalis flora in central Chile to the interplay between population genetics and climatic niche evolution in four Horde- um clades in the Americas. In these studies, I drew on existing methods in R and on java and C programs that could be easily integrated with R. Whenever necessary, I created additional software available in four new R packages. R's features, e.g., intersystem-interfaces, extensibility, reproducibility and advanced graphical capability, proved well suited for evolutionary and phylogenetic research. My coauthors and I addressed the history of Cucurbitaceae, one of the most economically important families of plants, using a multi-gene phylogeny for 114 of the 115 genera and 25 per cent of the 960 species. Worldwide sampling was achieved by using specimens from 30 herbaria. Results reveal an Asian origin of Cucurbitaceae in the Late Cretaceous, followed by the repeated spread of lineages into the African, American and Australian continents via transoceanic long-distance dispersal (LDD). North American cucurbits stem from at least seven range expansions of Central and South American lineages; Madagascar was colonized 13 times, always from Africa; Australia was reached 12 times, apparently always from Southeast Asia. Overall, Cucurbitaceae underwent at least 43 successful LDD events over the past 60 Myr, which would translate into an average of seven LDDs every 10 Myr. These and similar findings from other angiosperms stress the need for an increased tapping of museum collections to achieve extensive geographical sampling in plant phylogenetics. The second study focused on the interplay of population demography with the evolution of ecological niches during or after speciation in Hordeum. While large populations maintain a high level of standing genetic diversity, gene ow and recombination buffers against fast alterations in ecological adaptation. Small populations harbor lower allele diversity but can more easily shift to new niches if they initially survive under changed conditions. Thus, large populations should be more conservative regarding niche changes in comparison to small populations. My coauthors and I used environmental niche modeling together with phylogenetic, phylogeographic and population genetic analyses to infer the correlation of population demography with changes in ecological niche dimensions in 12 diploid Hordeum species from the New World, forming four monophyletic groups. Our analyses found both shifts and conservatism in certain niche dimensions within and among clades. Speciation due to vicariance resulted in three species with no pronounced climate niche differences, while species originating due to long-distance dispersals or otherwise encountering genetic bottlenecks mostly revealed climate niche shifts. Niche convergence among clades indicates a niche-filling pattern during the last 2 Myr in South American Hordeum. We provide evidence that species that did not encounter population reductions mainly show ecoclimatic niche conservatism, while major niche shifts have occurred in species that have undergone population bottlenecks. Our analyses allow the conclusion that population demography influences adaptation and niche shifts or conservatism in South American Hordeum species. Finally, I studied the phylogenetic composition of Oxalis flora of Mediterranean zone of Chile by asking whether in such a species-rich clade xerophytic adaptations arose in parallel, at different times, or simultaneously. Answering this type of question has been a major concern of evolutionary biology over the past few years, with a growing consensus that lineages tend to be conservative in their vegetative traits and niche requirements. Combined nuclear and chloroplast DNA sequences for 112 species of Oxalidales (4900 aligned nucleotides) were used for a fossil-calibrated phylogeny that includes 43 of the 54 species of Chilean Oxalis, and species distribution models (SDMs) incorporating precipitation, temperature, and fog, and the phylogeny were used to reconstruct ancestral habitat preferences, relying on likelihood and Bayesian techniques. Since uneven collecting can reduce the power of SDMs, we compared 3 strategies to correct for collecting effort. Unexpectedly, the Oxalis flora of Chile consists of 7 distant lineages that originated at different times prior to the last Andean uplift pulse; some had features preadapting them to seasonally arid or xeric conditions. Models that incorporated fog and a `collecting activity surface' performed best and identified the Mediterranean zone as a hotspot of Oxalis species as well as lineage diversity because it harbors a mix of ancient and young groups, including insuficiently arid-adapted species. There is no evidence of rapid adaptive radiation.

This study involved the combination of molecular-cytogenetic data and phylogenetic approaches to infer pathways by which chromosome numbers and sizes may have changed during the course of evolution. The two systems for which I generated new data are the monocot plant family Araceae and Coccinia, a genus of Cucurbitaceae. Araceae have about 3800 species in 118 genera, and chromosome numbers range from 2n = 168 to 2n = 8, the latter the lowest number so far and newly reported in my study. The small genus Coccinia includes C. grandis, with the largest known Y chromosome in plants, as documented in my work. The thesis comprises four published or submitted papers. The first paper reports the result of phylogenetic modeling of chromosome number change along a phylogeny for the Araceae with 113 genera represented. I used a maximum likelihood approach to find the most likely combination of events explaining today’s chromosome numbers in the 113 genera. The permitted events were chromosome gains (i.e. breaks), losses (i.e. fusions), doubling (polyploidization), or fusion of gametes with different ploidy. The best-fitting model inferred an ancestral haploid number of 16 or 18, higher than previously suggested numbers, a large role for chromosome fusion, and a limited role of polyploidization. The sparse taxon sampling and deep age (at least 120 Ma) of the events near the root of Araceae caution against placing too much weight on “ancestral” numbers, but inferred events in more closely related species can be tested with cytogenetic methods, which I did in two further studies (papers 2 and 3). I selected Typhonium, with 50-60 species, a range of 2n = 8 to 2n = 65 chromosomes. The family-wide study had suggested a reduction from a = 14 to 13 by fusion in Typhonium, but had included relatively few of its species. I built a phylogeny that included 96 species and subspecies sequenced for a nuclear and two chloroplast markers, and then selected 10 species with 2n = 8 to 24 on which to perform fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with three chromosomal probes (5S rDNA, 45S rDNA, and Arabidopsis-like telomeres; paper 2). The results supported chromosome fusion in two species where I found interstitially located telomere repeats (ITRs), which can be a signal of end-to-end fusions, and polyploidization in one species where I found multiple rDNA sites. I then extended my cytological work to other lineages of Araceae, selecting 14 species from 11 genera in key positions in the family phylogeny, which I enlarged to 174 species, adding new chromosome counts and FISH data for 14 species with 2n = 14 to 2n = 60 (paper 3). With the new data, I confirmed descending dysploidy as common in the Araceae, and I found no correlation between the number of rDNA sites and ploidy level (which would have pointed to recent polyploidy). I detected ITRs in three further species, all with 2n = 30. I also discovered gymnosperms-like massive repeat amplification in Anthurium. Similar ITRs are only known from Pinus species. Paper 4 presents molecular-cytogenetic data for Coccinia grandis, one of a handful of angiosperms with heteromorphic sex chromosomes. The male/female C-value difference in this species is 0.09 pg or 10% of the total genome. My FISH and GISH results revealed that the Y chromosome is heterochromatic, similar to the Y chromosomes of Rumex acetosa, but different from the euchromatic Y chromosome of Silene latifolia; it is more than 2x larger than the largest other chromosome in the genome, making C. grandis an ideal system for sequencing and studying the molecular steps of sex chromosome differentiation in plants.

The independent evolution of heteromorphic sex chromosomes in 19 speciesfrom 4 families of flowering plants permits studying X/Y divergenceafter the initial recombination suppression. Here, we documentautosome/Y divergence in the tropical Cucurbitaceae Coccinia grandis,which is ca. 3 myr old. Karyotyping and C-value measurements show thatthe C. grandis Y chromosome has twice the size of any of the otherchromosomes, with a male/female C-value difference of 0.094 pg or 10%of the total genome. FISH staining revealed 5S and 45S rDNA sites onautosomes but not on the Y chromosome, making it unlikely that rDNAcontributed to the elongation of the Y chromosome; recent end-to-endfusion also seems unlikely given the lack of interstitial telomericsignals. GISH with different concentrations of female blocking DNAdetected a possible pseudo-autosomal region on the Y chromosome, andC-banding suggests that the entire Y chromosome in C. grandis isheterochromatic. During meiosis, there is an end-to-end connectionbetween the X and the Y chromosome, but the X does not otherwise differfrom the remaining chromosomes. These findings and a review of plantswith heteromorphic sex chromosomes reveal no relationship betweenspecies age and degree of sex chromosome dimorphism. Its relativelysmall genome size (0.943 pg/2C in males), large Y chromosome, andphylogenetic proximity to the fully sequenced Cucumis sativus make C.grandis a promising model to study sex chromosome evolution.

Wed, 18 Jul 2012 12:00:00 +0100 https://edoc.ub.uni-muenchen.de/17865/ https://edoc.ub.uni-muenchen.de/17865/1/Holstein_Norbert.pdf Holstein, Norbert ddc:570, ddc:500, Fakultät für B

The gourd family, Cucurbitaceae, is among the economically most important families of plants, with many crop species that form the basis of multi-million dollar industries. Knowledge of these species’ geographic origin and their closest wild relatives is fundamental to breeding efforts, genetic improvement, and conservation. Surprisingly, these aspects have been unknown or misunderstood for many widely cultivated species, even though plant material that could have been used for broad phylogenetic studies has long been available in herbaria. For the thesis presented here, I focused on the phylogenetic relationships within two clades of Cucurbitaceae that comprise cultivated species: the genus Cucumis, to which cucumber (Cucumis sativus) and melon (Cucumis melo) belong, and the New World Sicyoeae, which contain vegetable pear or chayote (Sicyos (Sechium) edulis) and tacaco (Frantzia tacaco), locally important in Mexico and Costa Rica, and the former also cultivated worldwide. I used a combination of DNA sequence data from up to 175-year old herbarium specimens and molecular phylogenetic methods as well as traditional morphological and ecological data from my own fieldwork in Asia and Australia to infer the phylogenetic relationships among these clades. I also discovered and described several new species, and reconstructed plausible scenarios for the two clades’ geographical unfolding over time. Until recently, only two species of Cucumis, namely cucumber and its closest relative C. hystrix, were thought to be of Asian origin, and melon was thought to have originated in Africa, from where 30 species were known. Using DNA sequences from plastid and nuclear markers for some 100 Cucumis accessions from Africa, Australia, and Asia, I have shown that cucumber and melon both are of Asian (probably Indian) origin and form a clade with 23 previously overlooked species-level relatives in Asia, Australia, and around the Indian Ocean, at least nine of them new to science and some described as part of this thesis. Fieldwork I carried out in Thailand and Australia contributed new knowledge about the life forms and habitats of some of these species and resulted in fertile material essential for the descriptions. My study furthermore revealed that the sister species of melon is the re-discovered C. picrocarpus from Australia. Future breeding efforts and investigations of wild species related to melon and cucumber should therefore concentrate on Asia and Australia, instead of Africa. In my second study group, the Sicyoeae, my aim was to test long-problematic generic boundaries and to reconstruct the history of the tribe’s name-giving genus, Sicyos, which has an exceptional geographical distribution. Using a densely sampled molecular phylogeny that included type species of 23 currently or formerly accepted genera of Sicyoeae, I showed that morphology-based concepts did not result in monophyletic genera, and that species from numerous smaller genera, including chayote, need to be part of Sicyos if monophyly is to be established. Sicyos, in its new circumscription, has a center of distribution in the Neotropics, where c. 50 species occur, but long-distance dispersal has resulted in the group’s presence on Hawaii (where it radiated into 14 species), at least two arrivals on the Galápagos archipelago (but no radiations), and one arrival in Australia and New Zealand, now with three species, two of them new to science. Using molecular clock models, I dated these four trans-Pacific dispersal events, all from the American mainland, to the last 4.5 to 1 million years. The mode of dispersal may have been adherence of the small, spiny fruits to birds, which would fit with the documented occurrence of Sicyos plants near seabird nesting colonies. The rapid diversification on Hawaii may have followed the loss of the fruit spines in the ancestor of the 14 Hawaiian species, leading to lower dispersal ability and faster allopatric speciation in the diverse habitats of the archipelago.

Genetic crosses between the dioecious Bryonia dioica Jacq. (Cucurbitaceae) and the monoecious B. alba L. in 1903 provided the first clear evidence for Mendelian inheritance of dioecy and made B. dioica the classic case of XY sex determination in plants. We use chloroplast (cp) and nuclear (nr) DNA sequences from 129 individuals representing all morphological species to study species relationships and distribution, sexual system evolution, and association of ploidy-level with dioecy in Bryonia. Chloroplast and nuclear trees mostly fit morphological species concepts; there are seven dioecious and three monoecious species, together ranging from the Canary Islands to Central Asia. Bryonia verrucosa, the morphologically most differing species from the Canary Islands is sister to all other species. Our data argue for the inclusion of the narrowly endemic Central Asian species B. lappifolia and B. melanocarpa in B. monoica. Conflicts between cp and nr topologies imply that the dioecious hexaploid B. cretica arose from hybridization(s) involving the diploid species B. dioica, B. syriaca, and/or B. multiflora. The tetraploid B. marmorata likely originated via autopolyploidy. The nr phylogeny implies at least two transitions between dioecy and monoecy, but no correlation between change in sexual system and ploidy level. Fossil-calibrated molecular clocks using family-wide rbcL data with a Bryonia-centered sampling suggest that the deepest divergence in Bryonia occurred ca. ten million years ago and that monoecious and dioecious species crossed in the classic studies are separated by several million years of evolution. Traits, such as annual regrowth from a tuberous rootstock and other adaptations to a seasonal climate, as well as species and haplotype abundance, point to an origin of Bryonia in the Middle East. Species and haplotype poverty north of the Alps together suggest recolonization there after the last glacial maximum. Most species of Bryonia have 10 chromosomes (as confirmed by my own counts), and there appears to be no morphologically distinct pair that would represent the sex chromosomes. However, we know from the crossings carried out by Correns and others that in B. dioica, sex shows monofactorial dominant inheritance, setting up the hypothesis that B. dioica may have a pair of chromosomes on which key sex-determining gene(s) and sexlinked genes have accumulated. To gain insight into the possible presence of such a pair of sex chromosomes in B. dioica, it is necessary to sequence a fairly long sex-linked region to study its substitution behavior and to eventually visualize its physical placement using FISH. As a first step towards this goal, I developed a sex-linked SCAR marker for B. dioica from AFLP bands and sequenced it for individuals representing the full distribution range of the species from Scotland to North Africa. The region north of the Alps harbours distinct Y and X alleles that differ in a 197-bp indel, with the Y allele being perfectly linked to the male sex. In southern Europe, however, the XY system appears to break down (to an extent that is not clear), and there are signs of recombination between the Y and X homologues. Population genetic analyses suggest that the sex-linked region I amplified (i.e., the SCAR marker) experienced different evolutionary pressures in northern and southern Europe. These findings fit the evidence from my phylogenetic and phylogeographic analyses that the XY system in Bryonia is evolutionarily labile. Overall, my work suggests that Bryonia may be a good, but very complex, system in which to study the early steps of plant sex chromosome evolution.

The Cucurbitaceae family is also known as the pumpkin family, squash family or gourd family. There are around 825 species in almost 120 genera. This video talks specifically about the pumpkins and squash that are grouped in the genus Cucurbita.