Field Pumpkin
Cucurbita pepo
The original jack-o'-lantern was a turnip. The pumpkin won by being easier to carve.
The jack-o’-lantern began in Irish folklore as a turnip or rutabaga carved against the ghost of Stingy Jack. Irish immigrants to America found the native Cucurbita pepo bigger, softer, and much easier to hollow out. The turnip never made a comeback.
