The Pumpkin Is A Botanical Illusion

Pumpkin is not a formal scientific category at all. This popular label describes various unrelated squashes, meaning there is no single species that technically qualifies as a pumpkin.

Because the term is purely a cultural description, it applies to many different plants in the genus Cucurbita. You might be surprised to learn that what we call a pumpkin can belong to entirely different species with distinct genetic backgrounds. Nature does not distinguish between them, but our language groups them together based on their round, orange appearance. It is essentially a culinary nickname rather than a biological classification.