The zucchini (, American English) or courgette (, British English) is a summer squash which can reach nearly a metre in length, but is usually harvested immature at 15 to 25 cm (6 to 10 in). In Britain and Ireland a fully grown zucchini is referred to as a marrow. In South Africa it is known as a baby marrow.
Along with certain other squashes and pumpkins, it belongs to the species Cucurbita pepo. The zucchini can be dark or light green. A related hybrid, the golden zucchini, is a deep yellow or orange color.
In a culinary context, the zucchini is treated as a vegetable ; it is usually cooked and presented as a savory dish or accompaniment. Botanically, zucchinis are fruits, a type of botanical berry called a "pepo", being the swollen ovary of the zucchini flower.
The zucchini, like all squash, has its ancestry in the Americas. However, the varieties of squash typically called " zucchini " were developed in northern Italy in the second half of the 19th century, many generations after the introduction of cucurbits from the Americas in the early 16th century.
