Bottle Gourd (edible variety)
Lagenaria siceraria var. hispida
ユウガオ
A climbing annual in the gourd family. Named 'yūgao' (evening-face) because the white flowers open in the evening and close by morning. Familiar as the title of a chapter of the Tale of Genji. Comes in elongated ('Naga-yūgao') and round ('Maru-yūgao') forms. The source of 'kanpyō' (dried gourd strips) and also eaten in simmered dishes. Related to bottle gourd (hyōtan).
Identification Points
- ✓Climbing vine with large soft-hairy heart-shaped leaves
- ✓White 5-petaled flowers opening in the evening; petal margins deeply cut
- ✓Fruit elongated or spherical, pale green to whitish-green
Habitat
Cultivated (fields, home gardens)
Season
July to August (flowers), August to October (fruit)
Morphological TraitsAI-estimated, needs verification
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf shape
Cordate
Growth form
Vine
Evergreen/Deciduous
Deciduous
Petal count
5 petals
Flower color
White
Flowering season
Summer
Habitat
Cultivated
Phylogenetic Positionウリ科 →
Phylogenetic Position
Angiosperms > Eudicots > Core eudicots > Cucurbitales > Cucurbitaceae
Divergence Era
Late Cretaceous to Paleogene (about 80–70 million years ago)
Sources & References
AI-generated, needs verification