Pumpkin serpentine Lagenaria (Lagenaria siceraria) Lagenaria belongs to the family of pumpkins and, like all its representatives, is an annual. The leaves of this liana are almost the same as those of zucchini: quite large, rounded, with a velvety surface. Lagenaria have very long, up to 15 m, lashes, but unlike zucchini and pumpkin, they need vertical support, so the vine is often planted near an arch or gazebo. So you can "kill two birds with one stone": decorate the yard with thick foliage and fancy pumpkins, as well as give them the opportunity to mature. The fact is that if the lashes are lying on the ground, the fruits will begin to rot and you will not be able to use the results of your work. Young lagenaria pumpkins will be appreciated by gourmets – the sweet taste is very similar to zucchini. The main thing is to pick them in time, while the pumpkin still has a soft and juicy pulp, and a thin skin. If you skip this point and let the lagenaria begin to ripen, the flesh becomes hard (in some varieties it even gets a bitter taste), and the shell hardens. Lagenaria fruits have a unique property: if you cut a piece from them, for example, for a salad, the pumpkin continues to grow further, and the cut place simply gets plugged and the edges dry out. When the lagenaria is fully ripe, its skin becomes so strong that it is almost impossible to break the pumpkin. Even after wintering outside, most species do not become soft.