Synonyms:

• (=) Cucurbita lagenaria L.
• (=) Cucurbita leucantha Duchesne
• (=) Cucurbita longa hort.
• Basionym: Cucurbita siceraria Molina
• (=) Lagenaria lagenaria (L.) Cockerell, nom. inval.
• (≡) Lagenaria leucantha Rusby
• (=) Lagenaria vulgaris Ser.

Common names:

• bottle gourd  (Source: World Econ Pl) - English
• calabash  (Source: CRC MedHerbs ed2) - English
• calabash gourd  (Source: Dict Rehm) - English
• white-flower gourd  (Source: Hortus 3) - English
• calebassier  (Source: Dict Rehm) - French
• gourde bouteille  (Source: Dict Rehm) - French
• Flaschenkürbis  (Source: Dict Rehm) - German
• gewöhnlicher Flaschenkürbis  (Source: Zander ed16) - German
• Kalebasse  (Source: Zander Ency) - German
• dudhi  (Source: Dict Rehm) - India
• hyōtan  (Source: F Japan) - Japanese Rōmaji
• cabaco  (Source: Dict Rehm) - Portuguese
• acocote  (Source: F NGalicia) - Spanish
• cajombre  (Source: Dict Rehm) - Spanish
• calabaza  (Source: Dict Rehm) - Spanish
• guiro amargo  (Source: Dict Rehm) - Spanish
• flaskkurbits  (Source: Kulturvaxtdatabas) - Swedish
• hu lu  (Source: F ChinaEng) - Transcribed Chinese
• bag  (Source: Kulturpflanze) - Transcribed Korean

Economic Importance:

• Human food: vegetable (young fruits fide Pl Res SEAs 8:191. 1993; Cornucopia)
• Gene sources: graft stock relative for watermelon (fide ScientHort 127:108. 2010)
• Materials: carved material (shells of fruits for containers, musical instruments fide Biol Cucurb 326. 1990; fishing floats, Econ Bot 53:101. 1999)
• Medicines: folklore (fide CRC MedHerbs ed2; Herbs Commerce ed2)
• Vertebrate poisons: mammals (fide Kellerman et al., as Lagenaria leucantha)

Distributional Range:

Native

Africa

• SOUTH TROPICAL AFRICA: Zimbabwe


Naturalized (widely natzd. in tropics)

Other (origin paleotropics)

References:

1. Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource on www.skud.info). 2012 (Kulturvaxtdatabas)
2. Decker-Walters, D. S. 1999. Cucurbit, Sanskrit, and the Indo-Aryas Econ. Bot. 53:101.
3. Duke, J. A. et al. CRC Handbook of medicinal herbs. 2002 (CRC MedHerbs ed2)
4. Erhardt, W. et al. Zander: Handwörterbuch der Pflanzennamen, 16. Auflage. 2000 (Zander ed16)
5. Erhardt, W. et al. Der große Zander: Enzyklopädie der Pflanzennamen. 2008 (Zander Ency)
6. Exell, A. W. et al., eds. Flora zambesiaca. 1960- (F Zamb)
7. Iwatsuki, K. et al. Flora of Japan. 1993- (F Japan)
8. Kistler, L. et al. 2014. Transoceanic drift and the domestication of African bottle gourds in the Americas Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 111:2937-2941.
9. Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium Hortus third. 1976 (Hortus 3)
10. McGuffin, M., J. T. Kartesz, A. Y. Leung, & A. O. Tucker Herbs of commerce, ed. 2. 2000 (Herbs Commerce ed2)
11. McVaugh, R. Flora Novo-Galiciana. 1983- (F NGalicia)
12. Mun-Chan, B. et al. 1986. A checklist of the Korean cultivated plants (Kulturpflanze) 34:105.
13. Rehm, S. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants. 1994 (Dict Rehm)
14. Siemonsma, J. S. & Kasem Piluek, eds. 1993. Vegetables (Pl Res SEAs) 8:191.
15. Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. Flora of China (English edition). 1994- (F ChinaEng)

Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2026. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN-Taxonomy).
National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland. URL: http://germoplasma.iniaf.gob.bo/gringlobal/taxonomydetail.aspx?id=21385. Accessed 7 junio 2026.