A valid name for the Xishuangbanna gourd, a cucumber with carotene-rich fruits

Herbarium specimens deposited in publicly accessible collections are the basis for all scientific names because only permanent specimens can be re-studied by independent researchers, the very essence of science. Re-investigations may be done with morphological, chemical, genomic, computer-tomographic, or other methods. Based on new herbarium material, I here provide a name for the Xishuangbanna gourd, a plant long cultivated in Yunnan because of its large non-bitter fruits, rich in β-carotene. Genome re-sequencing of numerous accessions has shown that this cucumber mutant is closer to Cucumis sativus var. sativus than is the wild bitter-fruited progenitor C. sativus var. hardwickii, and two dozen studies have further clarified the genetics of key traits, including pulp color, fruit shape, and flowering times. Morphological and molecular diagnoses of the new variety are provided and museum-quality specimens have been distributed to the World’s major herbaria.