ABSTRACT
According to Iwasa, 3 the origin of Lagenaria siceraria Standley (= Lagenaria leucantha Rusby = Lagenaria vulgaris Ser.) remains obscure. Linne believed it to be indigenous to America, De Candolle thought it Indian or African; Roxburgh said India; and Burkill, Africa. Lagenaria is derived from the Latin lagena (“bottle”), which describes the shape of the fruit, and leucantha, which means “white flower”.
