Cucurbitoideae

The Cucurbitoideae are a subfamily of the Cucurbitaceae, or gourd family, of flowering plants. The Cucurbitaceae are divided into two subfamilies, the Zanonioideae, probably a paraphyletic group of remainders, and the well-supported monophyletic Cucurbitoideae.

The Cucurbitoideae subfamily consists of eight tribes. Members of the Cucurbiteae tribe produce economically valuable fruits, called gourds, which include crops like cucumbers, squashes (including pumpkins), luffas, and melons (including watermelons). The Benincaseae tribe contains a genus called Lagenaria whose members produce gourds that can be eaten or whose shells can be dried and used as containers.