Crescentia

This article is about the tree. For other uses of Crescentia, see Crescentia (disambiguation). For the vine and its fruit, see calabash. For other uses of calabash, see Calabash (disambiguation).

Crescentia
Crescentia cujete
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Asterids
Order:	Lamiales
Family:	Bignoniaceae
Tribe:	Crescentieae
Genus:	Crescentia L.
Species
See text

Crescentia (calabash tree, huingo, krabasi, or kalebas) is a genus of six species^[1] of flowering plants in the family Bignoniaceae, native to southern North America, the Caribbean, Central America and northern South America. The species are small trees growing to 10 m (35 ft) tall, and producing large spherical fruits, with a thin, hard shell and soft pulp,^[2] up to 25 cm (10 in) in diameter.^[3]

Uses

The fruit pulp is used medicinally for respiratory problems.^[4] The hard shell can be used for containers, scoops, cups etc.^[2]

Selected species

• Crescentia alata
• Crescentia cujete
• Crescentia portoricensis

References

1. ^ "Crescentia". Germplasm Resources Information Network. http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/splist.pl?3069. Retrieved 2011-09-24. 
2. ^ ^{a b} "Crescentia cujete (Huingo)". Rainforest Conservation Fund. http://www.rainforestconservation.org/?s=calabash. Retrieved 2011-09-24. 
3. ^ "Calabash Tree Fruit". Mission to Belize. http://www.missiontobelize.org/node/192. Retrieved 2011-09-24. 
4. ^ "Calabash tree". Tropilab. http://www.tropilab.com/calabashtree.html. Retrieved 2011-09-24.