Calabash (Lagenaria vulgaris) / Cabaceira (Lagenaria vulgaris)

A cucurbitaceous plant native to the tropical zone, widely cultivated in Madeira. Its fruits are used to make soup, and when fully ripe and dried, they can be used to store liquids, as in this state it is easy to empty them of their mesocarp and seeds. The small calabash (var. pusilla), filled with wine or brandy, was an object that always accompanied our countrymen on their walks or pilgrimages in the past.