Phenotypic differentiation between wild and domesticated varieties of Crescentia cujeteL. and culturally relevant uses of their fruits as bowls in the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

Abstract

The association between C. cujete bowls and traditional beverages in ritual and daily life situations has driven for centuries the selection of preferred fruit morphology in this tree. Selection of fruit roundness and volume has allowed for the differentiation between the wild variety and the three domesticated ones, counteracting gene flow among them. By choosing the best fruits from domesticated varieties propagated in homegardens, the Maya people model the domestication process of this important tree in their culture.