Luffa aegyptiaca

Life-forms

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Eudicots
Cladus: Core eudicots
Cladus: Rosids
Cladus: Eurosids I
Ordo: Cucurbitales

Familia: Cucurbitaceae
Tribus: Sicyoeae
Genus: Luffa
Species: Luffa aegyptiaca
Name

Luffa aegyptiaca Mill., 1768.
Notes

There has been considerable discussion on whether the correct name for this species is L. cylindrica or L. aegyptiaca. The typification was discussed in detail by Nicolson (1988) and their interpretation is followed here.
Synonyms

Bryonia cheirophylla Wall.
Cucumis acutangulus Wall.
Cucumis lineatus Bosc
Cucumis megacarpus G. Don
Cucumis pentandrus Roxb. ex Wight & Arn.
Cucurbita multiflora Soland. ex Forst. fil.
Luffa acutangula var. subangulata (Miq.) Cogn.
Luffa aegyptiaca var. peramara Bailey
Luffa aegyptiaca f. sylvestris (Miq.) W. J. de Wilde & Duyfjes
Luffa arabum Steud.
Luffa cattu-picinna Ser.
Luffa clavata Roxb.
Luffa cordata Meissn.
Luffa cylindrica M. Roem.
Luffa cylindrica var. insularum (A. Gray) Cogn.
Luffa cylindrica var. leiocarpa Naudin
Luffa cylindrica var. multiflora Domin
Luffa foetida (Jacq. fil.) Hort. Vindob. ex Schrad.
Luffa hederacea Wall.
Luffa hederacea Wall. ex G. Don
Luffa insularum A. Gray
Luffa jacquinii Schrad.
Luffa leiocarpa (Naudin) F. Muell.
Luffa leucosperma M. Roem.
Luffa luffa (L.) Lyons
Luffa parvala Buch.-Ham.
Luffa pentandra Roxb.
Luffa petola Ser.
Luffa racemosa Roxb.
Luffa satpatia Buch.-Ham.
Luffa satpatia Buch.-Ham. ex G. Don
Luffa scabra Schumacher & Thonning
Luffa striata Schrad.
Luffa subangulata Miq.
Luffa veitchii Naud.
Luffa vittata Zipp. ex Span.
Melothria touchanensis H. Lév.
Momordica carinata Vell.
Momordica cylindrica L.
Momordica luffa L.
Momordica operculata Blanco
Momordica reticulata Salisb.
Poppya fabiana C. Koch
Turia cordata J. F. Gmel.
Turia cylindrica J. F. Gmel.
Turia sativa Forssk.

Distribution
Native distribution areas:

Continental: Asie
Myanmar [Burma], Nepal, Bhutan, India, Darjeeling (I), Pakistan (Sind, Baluchistan, Pakistani Punjab, Swat), Jammu & Kashmir (Poonch, Kashmir), Pakistani Kashmir (Gilgit)
Continental: Africa
Senegal, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad, Annobon Isl., Sudan, South Sudan, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Benin, Togo, Nigeria, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, D.R.Congo (Zaire), Congo (Brazzaville), NW-Angola, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique, Bioko Isl. (Fernando Poo), Sao Tome, Madagascar, Comoros

References: Brummitt, R.K. 2001. TDWG – World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions, 2nd Edition
References
Primary references

Miller, P. 1768. The Gardeners Dictionary: containing the best and newest methods of cultivating and improving the kitchen, fruit, flower garden, and nursery. Ed. 8, 3 volumes (without pagination), John & Francis Rivington, London. DOI: 10.5962/bhl.title.541 Reference page. : Edn. 8.

Additional references

Nicolson 1988. Regnum Veg. 119: 97.

Links

Hassler, M. 2019. Luffa aegyptiaca. World Plants: Synonymic Checklists of the Vascular Plants of the World In: Roskovh, Y., Abucay, L., Orrell, T., Nicolson, D., Bailly, N., Kirk, P., Bourgoin, T., DeWalt, R.E., Decock, W., De Wever, A., Nieukerken, E. van, Zarucchi, J. & Penev, L., eds. 2019. Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life. Published online. Accessed: 2019 Dec 30. Reference page.
International Plant Names Index. 2019. Luffa aegyptiaca. Published online. Accessed: Dec 30 2019.
Govaerts, R. et al. 2019. Luffa aegyptiaca in Kew Science Plants of the World online. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published online. Accessed: 2019 Dec 30. Reference page.
Tropicos.org 2019. Luffa aegyptiaca. Missouri Botanical Garden. Published online. Accessed: 30 Dec 2019.

Vernacular names
Deutsch: Schwammkürbis
English: Smooth Luffa, Egyptian Luffa
suomi: Pesusienikurkku
မြန်မာဘာသာ: သပွတ်သီး
Nederlands: Sponskomkommer
português: Bucha

Luffa aegyptiaca, the sponge gourd,[2] Egyptian cucumber or Vietnamese luffa, is an annual species of vine cultivated for its fruit, native to South and Southeast Asia.

Description

The three-lobed leaves are 7.5–20 centimetres (3–8 inches) wide.[3]

The fruit, approximately 30 cm (12 in) long and maturing to brown, resembles a cucumber[3] in shape and size.
Etymology

The synonymous botanical specific epithet "aegyptiaca" was given to this plant in the 16th century when European botanists were introduced to the plant from its cultivation in Egypt. In the European botanical literature, the plant was first described by Johann Veslingius in 1638, who named it "Egyptian cucumber". Veslingius also introduced the name "Luffa".[4]
Cultivation

Owing to its striking yellow flowers, the plant is occasionally grown as an ornamental. It is best grown with a trellis support.[5] It requires much heat and much water to thrive.
Uses

The young fruit is eaten as a vegetable and is commonly grown for that purpose in tropical Asia. Unlike the young fruit, the fully ripened fruit is strongly fibrous and inedible, and is used to make scrubbing bath sponges. Due to the use as a scrubbing sponge, it is also known by the common names dishrag gourd, rag gourd, sponge gourd, and vegetable-sponge.[1] It is also called smooth luffa to distinguish it from the ridged luffa (Luffa acutangula), which is used for the same purposes.[1]

The young shoots, flowers and leaves can be cooked, and the mature seeds can be roasted for consumption.[3]

An edible oil can be extracted from the seeds. The resulting oil meal can be fed to rabbits and catfish, or used as a fertilizer.[6]

In art

In Israel, Luffa aegyptiaca has been in use since the time of the Late Roman Empire. Young fruits were used for food. Mature fruits were used as bath sponges. Luffa aegyptiaca fruits were decorated for the first time in art of the Byzantine era in Israel only. The fruits were decorated on mosaics of churches and synagogues in Israel.
Luffa in Kursi mosaic, Golan Heights

Luffa in mosaic at Beth Alfa synagogue
References

"Luffa aegyptiaca". Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Agricultural Research Service (ARS), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 21 December 2017.
USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Luffa aegyptiaca". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 23 June 2015.
The Complete Guide to Edible Wild Plants. United States Department of the Army. New York: Skyhorse Publishing. 2009. p. 117. ISBN 978-1-60239-692-0. OCLC 277203364.
Johann Veslingius, De Plantis Aegyptiis, 1638. p. 48 (in Latin)
A Legacy of Luffa, by Elizabeth Harwick, who grows Luffa cylindrica successfully in South Carolina.
Heuzé V., Tran G., Lebas F., 2017. Luffa (Luffa aegyptiaca). Feedipedia, a programme by INRA, CIRAD, AFZ and FAO. https://www.feedipedia.org/node/626 Last updated on July 18, 2017, 10:53