Squashes&gourds placed next to each other (was: Re: [Sca-cooks] Creamsauces)

[Terry Decker]

Bottle gourds and squashes should be okay.  You usually don't get 
cross-breeding between genera.

A few years ago I found a paper on cross-breeding between species of squash. 
As I recall, the two species with the most genetic divergence won't 
cross-breed, but everything else has a probability of cross-breeding 
dependent on the degree of divergence.  Unfortunately, when I tried to 
locate the paper again, I couldn't find it.  It's one I would like to add to 
my notes.

Bear

> eu, since we're on the topic of squashes anyways,
>
> I planted some pumpkins this summer, I would really like to try bottle
> gourds next year. My sis however was rather impressed with homegrown
> pumpkins, so she requested more pumpkins for next year.
>
> I've got some vague memories of biology experiments on peas (Mendel),
> and know that squashes are very quick to crossbreed.
>
> Would butternut squashes (for my sis) and bottle gourds grow next to
> each other as different species? or would they crossbread?
>
> Finne