Etymology
Italian for "small gourd"

Description
It seems the zucchini was born in Italy sometime in the 18th century. A member of the Cucurbitaceae family (like other squash), zucchini are long and cylindrical and have a thin freckled skin. This kind of squash is often grown for its yellow flowers, used before they develop fruit.  It’s found in green, yellow, yellow-striped or marbled varieties.

Zucchini are generally picked when immature, though it’s not unusual to find squash weighing  several pounds.