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Gourd

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Terminology:
Gourd is used to describe crop plants in the family Cucurbitaceae.
Gourd refers to fruits of plants in the genera Lagenaria and Cucurbita.
– Main gourd plants include species from Cucurbita, Crescentia cujete, and Lagenaria siceraria.
– Other gourds include luffa gourd, wax gourd, snake gourd, teasel gourd, hedgehog gourd, and bitter melon.
– Gourds have various uses worldwide, such as food, kitchen tools, toys, musical instruments, and decoration.

History:
– Bottle gourds are native to the Americas and Asia.
– Gourds were among the first domesticated species.
– Gourds have been used throughout history in various cultures for food, tools, musical instruments, and decoration.
– Gourds were used as birdhouses in North America for bug control.
– Gourds are commonly used for crafts like jewelry, furniture, dishes, and decorations.

See also:
– Güiro and maracas are Latin American percussion instruments made from gourds.
– Sitar parts are made from gourds.
– African percussion instruments like shekere, axatse, and balafon incorporate gourds.
– The traditional Filipino headgear, Salakot, can be made from bottle gourd.

Citations:
– Various sources provide information on gourds, including their history, distribution, and cultural significance.
– Studies have been conducted on the DNA of bottle gourds to understand their domestication.
– Gourds have been used in different cultures for musical instruments, crafts, and decoration.

General bibliography:
– Studies on antimony complexes and their structures.
– Research on the synthesis and structure of specific chemical compounds.

External links:
– Wikimedia Commons has media related to gourds.
– Encyclopædia Britannica provides information on gourds.

Gourd (Wikipedia)

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. One of the earliest domesticated types of plants, subspecies of the bottle gourd, Lagenaria siceraria, have been discovered in archaeological sites dating from as early as 13,000 BCE. Gourds have had numerous uses throughout history, including as tools, musical instruments, objects of art, film, and food.

Gourds at a market in Massachusetts
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