Squashes generally refer to four species of the genus
Cucurbita, also called
marrows depending on variety or the nationality of the speaker. These species include
C. maxima,
C. mixta,
C. moschata, and
C. pepo.
In North America, squash is loosely grouped into
summer squash or
winter squash, depending on whether they are harvested as immature fruit or mature fruit.
Gourds are from the same family as squashes. Well known types of squash include the pumpkin and zucchini. Giant squash are derived from Cucurbita maxima and are routinely grown to weights nearing those of giant pumpkins. For more details, refer to
list of gourds and squashes.