Summer squash are a subset of squashes that are harvested when immature, while the rind is still tender and edible. Nearly all summer squashes are varieties of Cucurbita pepo, though not all Cucurbita pepo are considered summer squashes. Most summer squash have a bushy growth habit, unlike the rambling vines of many winter squashes. The name "summer squash" refers to the short storage life of these squashes, unlike that of winter squashes.
Summer squashes include:
- Cousa squash, pale-colored Zucchini varieties purportedly of Middle Eastern or West Asian descent. Not to be confused with Cushaw, a type of winter squash.
- Pattypan squash (Scallop squash)
- Tromboncino or Zucchetta, unusual among summer squash as being a vining plant and a Cucurbita moschata variety.
- Yellow crookneck squash
- Yellow summer squash
- Zucchini (courgette)
In the journals of Lewis and Clark, on October 12, 1804, Clark recorded that the Arikara tribe raised "great quantities of corn, beans, simlins, &c." "Simlin" and "simnel" were southern words for summer squash. He may have been referring to Cucurbita moschata Duchesne, crookneck squash.
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