Gourds! This plant has been used by humans for as long as we can remember. If you need a bowl, water cup, scoop, or container, this sturdy member of the large Cucurbitaceae family has 100 genera and 1,000 species that produce a hard-shell, durable fruit. The two main characteristics of this family are having a tendril-bearing vine with both male and female blossoms borne on the same vine and producing a fruit that has an outer-shell covering (may be soft or hard), with seeds embedded in a pul ...