to this area as a probable center of domestication for this species (Nee, 1990;Sanjur et al., 2002; Wessel-Beaver, Cucurbita moschata (Duchesne ex Lam.) Duchesne ex Poir. is an 2000). Two independent domestication events in Mexico important crop in tropical areas. In Spain, the cultivation of this species is mainly based on landraces maintained for centuries. The Center and northern South America have also been proposed for Conservation and Breeding of Agricultural Diversity (COMAV) (Decker-Walters and Walters, 2000; Robinson and maintains a germplasm collection with about 250 C. moschata land-Decker-Walters, 1997). Furthermore, the absence of races, primarily from the Canary Islands and the Spanish peninsula, known wild species closely related to C. moschata inincluding some accessions from Central and South America. The creases the confusion concerning the site of domesticamorphological characterization of 47 accessions showed considerable tion. The wild species C. lundelliana L.H. Bailey, convariability, comparable to that found in different C. moschata centers fined to the Yucatan peninsula, and initially considered of diversity. Molecular analysis using AFLP (amplified fragment as the ancestor of C. moschata, does not seem to be so length polymorphism) markers, which analyze neutral genetic diverclosely related to the cultivated species according to sity, and SRAP (sequence-related amplified polymorphism) markers, morphological, isozymatic, and crossability studies (Merwhich preferentially amplify gene regions, showed a genetic diversity concordant with the morphological variability. With both markers, rick, 1990). It is currently thought that the wild progenithe accessions clustered according to geographical origin: Central tor of C. moschata was derived from a wild taxon closely America, South America, and Spain, suggesting the existence of two related to C. argyrosperma ssp. sororia (L.H. Bailey) independent domestications in both American areas, and/or intro-Merrick & Bates. However, these two species show difgressions from related species. In the principal coordinate analysis ferent isozyme patterns and reproductive barriers (Sanjur (PCoA), the Central and South American accessions grouped toet al., 2002). Decker-Walters and Walters (2000) suggest gether by AFLPs, separately from the Spanish ones, while with SRAP that the analysis of some wild squashes in Bolivia could the South American accessions grouped separately from the other shed some light on the study of the origin of C. moschata. accessions. This could be due to the different information providedThe cultivation of C. moschata soon spread to northby each marker system. The SRAP results agree with the more primieastern Mexico (ෂ3400 BP) and to southwestern USA tive traits showed by the South American landraces. In addition, the accessions from the Canary Islands grouped separately from those Center for Conservation and Breeding of the Agricultural DiversityCanary Islands, where this species is highly appreciated

BCH-OMW can be used at high proportion in media for tomato cultivation. The use of BCH-FW at a high proportion might be taken into consideration after adjusting particle size, yet this needs additional assays. HYD-FW is inadequate for soilless containerized tomato cultivation. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

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The presence of green roofs in urban areas improves the energy efficiency of buildings; contributes to the capture of CO2, decreasing pollution; and improves the appearance of cities, increasing their sustainability. Additionally, green roofs must include plant species with low requirements and maintenance, and thus, succulent species could be useful in Mediterranean semi-arid regions. In this work, the thermal inertia and the effect of different succulent species as thermal barriers on mitigating the increase in temperature inside experimental compartments were studied in comparison to conventional covers used in the Spanish Mediterranean for a whole year. In general, green covers were more efficient than conventional ones for controlling temperature. Thus, temperatures under green covers were up to 8 °C lower than conventional covers and 3–5 °C lower than the ambient temperature at noon on summer days. Furthermore, significant differences were found between green covers. Thus, despite having high thermal inertia, Aptenia cordifolia showed the worst temperature records, while Aeonium arboreum was the most efficient at mitigating temperature changes both on cold winter nights and hot summer days—even better than Sedum spp., a usual succulent used commercially. Our results demonstrate that succulent species are efficient materials to use as green covers to improve thermal conditions in buildings in Mediterranean cities. This also suggests that the mixture of succulent species (i.e. not only made of Sedum spp.) with different colors and textures could beautify green roofs without compromising their energy efficiency.