[ **up: [[Plants]] | [[Angiosperms]]** ] --- # *Curcurbita* (Genus) > Gourds include the fruits of some flowering plant species in the family Cucurbitaceae, particularly Cucurbita and Lagenaria. The term refers to a number of species and subspecies, many with hard shells, and some without.[^1] Includes gourds, pumpkins, squash. --- - [[Butternut pumpkin]] --- ## Taxonomy - **[[Life (Biology)]]** - **[[Eukaryotes|Eukaryota (Domain)]]** - **[[Plants|Plantae (Kingdom)]]** - [[Magnoliophyta (Division)|Angiosperms/Magnoliophyta (Division)]] <small>has flowers</small> - [[Curcurbitales (Order)]] - [[Curcurbita (Genus)]] <small>CUCURBITA</small> --- ## Gourds in folklore ### Christian mythology > 6 And the LORD God prepared a gourd, and made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shadow over his head, to deliver him from his grief. So Jonah was exceeding glad of the gourd. > > 7 But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd that it withered.[^2] ### Chinese mythology > The Chinese god of longevity Shouxing is often depicted carrying a staff with a gourd attached to its end.[^3] > Li Tieguai, one of the Eight Immortals is also often depicted with a bottle gourd that contains a special medicine that he uses to aid the sick, poor, or needy.[^4] [^1]: ‘Gourds’, *Wikipedia*, updated 1 January 2025, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gourd. [^2]: Jonah 4:6–7 (see: https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Bible_(King_James)/Jonah#4:2). [^3]: ‘Gourds’, *Wikipedia*, updated 1 January 2025, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gourd. [^4]: ‘Gourds’, *Wikipedia*, updated 1 January 2025, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gourd.