> wrote in message
oups.com...
> Hi group,
>
> I was hoping that I could get an answer to a question. I tried various
> Google searches and read many webpages about squash, but I haven't been
> able to determine if butter squash and butternut squash are the same
> thing. I know butternut squash is also called pumpkin squash...that's
> the only thing I know for sure.
>
> Thanks,
> Christine
>

You are lost in the morass of international naming confusion. There is no
certain escape unless you can show a picture and get the parties involved to
all say what they call that thing. No, on second thought even that is not
certain to work

For instance here (Australia) we have hard rind curcurbits that keep well
that are called pumpkins, butternut is a variety of those which is about a
foot long and half that thick, thinner at the top possibly with a slight
bend. Pumpkins are picked when mature and the flesh is generally firm and
starchy, and some shade of yellow or orange. Elsewhere this might be called
a winter squash, despite the fact that they grow in the summer.

I also have a smaller, flat, radially symetric, soft rind curcurbit that
doesn't keep so well and it is picked immature. It's flesh is soft, moist,
not starchy and fairly translucent pale green. Here that is called a button
squash and the variety with a bright yellow skin can be called a butter
squash - much like yellow beans can be called butter beans although they
taste the same as green ones. Over the briny that might be called a summer
squash or (I think) a pattypan. It does in fact grow in summer.

Scientific names don't help much with many vegetables as most people don't
know them and there may be many cultivated varieties of the same species
that look quite different and different species that look similar.

Ain't language fun?

David