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A pumpkin is a cultivar of a squash plant, most commonly of ''Cucurbita pepo'', that is round, with smooth, slightly ribbed skin, and deep yellow to orange coloration. The thick shell contains the seeds and pulp. Some exceptionally large cultivars of squash with similar appearance have also been derived from ''Cucurbita maxima''. Specific cultivars of winter squash derived from other species, including ''C. argyrosperma'', and ''C. moschata'', are also sometimes called "pumpkin". In New Zealand and Australian English, the term ''pumpkin'' generally refers to the broader category called winter squash elsewhere. Pumpkins, like other squash, are native to North America. Pumpkins are widely grown for commercial use, and are used both in food and recreation. Pumpkin pie, for instance, is a traditional part of Thanksgiving meals in Canada and the United States, although commercially canned pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie fillings are usually made from different kinds of winter squash than the pumpkins frequently carved as jack-o'-lanterns for decoration around Halloween. ==Description== Pumpkins, like other squash, are thought to have originated in North America. The oldest evidence, pumpkin-related seeds dating between 7000 and 5500 BC, was found in Mexico.〔 Since some squash share the same botanical classifications as pumpkins, the names are frequently used interchangeably. One often-used botanical classification relies on the characteristics of the stems: pumpkin stems are more rigid, prickly, and angular (with an approximate five-degree angle) than squash stems, which are generally softer, more rounded, and more flared where joined to the fruit.〔cucurbitaceae. (1995). In ''Van Nostrand's Scientific Encyclopedia'' (8th ed.). New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold.〕〔pumpkin. (1992). In ''The Encyclopedia Americana International Edition''. Danbury, Connecticut: Grolier Incorporated.〕 Traditional ''C. pepo'' pumpkins generally weigh between , though the largest cultivars (of the species ''C. maxima'') regularly reach weights of over . The color of pumpkins is derived from the orange pigments abundant in them. The main nutrients are lutein and both alpha and beta carotene, the latter of which generates vitamin A in the body. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「pumpkin」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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