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Cucumis bicirrha, Cucumis lagenaria, Cucumis mairei, Cucurbita ciceraria, Cucurbita idolatrica, Cucurbita idololatrica, Cucurbita lagenaria, Cucurbita leucantha, Cucurbita pyriformis, Cucurbita siceraria, Cucurbita vittata, Lagenaria bicornuta, Lagenaria idolatrica, Lagenaria lagenaria, Lagenaria leucantha, Lagenaria microcarpa, Lagenaria vulgaris
Bottle gourd, calabash
The calabash, bottle gourd, or white-flowered gourd, Lagenaria siceraria (synonym Lagenaria vulgaris Ser.), also known as opo squash (from Tagalog: upo) or long melon, is a vine grown for its fruit, which can either be harvested young and used as a vegetable, or harvested mature, dried, and used as a bottle, utensil, or pipe. The fresh fruit has a light-green smooth skin and a white flesh. Rounder varieties are called calabash gourds. They grow in a variety of shapes: they can be huge and rounded, small and bottle shaped, or slim and serpentine, more than a metre long. Because bottle gourds are also called "calabashes", they are sometimes confused with the hard, hollow fruits of the unrelated calabash tree, Crescentia cujete, whose fruits are also used to make utensils, containers, and musical instruments. The gourd was one of the first cultivated plants in the world, grown not primarily for food, but for use as water containers. The bottle gourd may have been carried from Africa to Asia, Europe, and the Americas in the course of human migration, or by seeds floating across the oceans inside the gourd. It has been proven to be in the New World prior to the arrival of Christopher Columbus.
Lagenaria siceraria, also known as the calabash or bottle gourd, is a vining plant native to Africa and Asia. In Qatar, archaeological findings have revealed that L. siceraria was introduced and cultivated over 4,000 years ago, with evidence of its presence found at ancient sites such as Al Zubarah and Asaila. The plant's hard-shelled fruits were likely used for storage, utensils, and other purposes, indicating early trade and cultural exchange in the region. Today, L. siceraria is still cultivated in Qatar for its edible fruit and ornamental value.
Flower of bottle gourd (calabash, Lagenaria siceraria) on Al Abeer Street in Al Luqta area. Doha, Qatar, January 14, 2016
Al Abeer St, Doha, Qatar
Bottle gourd (calabash, Lagenaria siceraria) on a fence on Al Abeer Street in Al Luqta area. Doha, Qatar, January 14, 2016Al Abeer St, Doha, QatarObservations of Lagenaria siceraria in Qatar reveal that the plant is able to thrive in the country's environment. On Al Abeer Street in the Al Luqta area of Doha, a flower of the bottle gourd was spotted on January 14, 2016. The same species was also seen growing on a fence in the same location, suggesting that it can climb and spread using available supports. The plant's ability to grow on fences indicates its adaptability to urban environments. The presence of flowers and climbing vines suggests that Lagenaria siceraria is able to complete its life cycle and potentially produce fruit in Qatar's climate. These observations were made in January, indicating that the plant can be active during the winter months in Qatar.
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QNHG (Qatar Natural History Group) and associated people, for a possibility to participate in their field excursions and to learn about local nature.