PUBLISHED IN: Familiarum Naturalium Regni Vegetabilis Monographicae 2: 63. 1846.

TYPE: China, Zeylona, LINN 1150.9 sine leg. (herb. non desig.)

ETYMOLOGY:

BASIONYM: Momordica cylindrica L., Species Plantarum 2: 1009. 1753.

SYNONYMY: Cucumis fricatorius Sesse & Moc., Flora Mexicana 2: 227. 1894. Type: Mexico: Veracruz, Cordoba, no date, Mociño et al. 4267 (F).
     Luffa acutangula var. subangulata (Miq.) Cogn., Monographiae Phanerogamarum 3: 461. 1881. Basionym: Luffa subangulata Miq., Flora van Nederlandsch Indië 1(1): 667. 1855.
     Luffa aegyptiaca Mill., The Gardeners Dictionary:… eighth edition s.n. 1768. Type: based on Momordica luffa L.
     Luffa subangulata Miq., Flora van Nederlandsch Indië 1(1): 667. 1855.
     Melothria touchanensis H. Lév., Flore du Kouy-Tchéou 122. 1914.
     Momordica luffa L., Species Plantarum 2: 1009. 1753. Type: (LINN 1150.6) Zeylona, sine leg. (herb. non desig.).

INFRASPECIFIC TAXA: Luffa cylindrica var. minor Chakrav.

VERNACULAR NAME: smooth loofah

OTHER VERNACULAR NAMES: loofah sponge, sponge gourd, vegetable sponge, dishrag or dishcloth gourd, towel gourd, bonnet gourd, African sponge
     Arabic: luff, lufa
     Chinese: si gua (silk gourd), ssu-kuo, shui gwa (water gourd), man gua, (wild silk gourd)
     Danish: luffasvamp, frottersvamp
     Dutch: nenwa, luffa
     Filipino: loofah, patola
     French: loofah, éponge végétale, serviette des pauvres
     German: Schwammgurke, Schwammkürbis, Luffa
     Hindi: ghiya tori, nerua
     Indonesian: belustra,loang, oyong luffa, kimput, jaat
     Italian: luffa, spunga vegetale, zucca da spunge
     Japanese: hechima, naga ito-uri
     Malay: petola manis, petola balat, ketola manis, belustra, bloostroo, emes
     Mexico to Bolivia: estropajo
     Portuguese: lufa, esponja vegetal, bucha, bucha dos paulistas, esfregão, fruta dos paulistas
     Russian: ljufa
     Spanish: calabaza de aristas, esponja, servilleta del pobre
     Tagalog: loofah
     Thai: buop horm
     Vietnamese: muóp huong

CULTIVARS:

DESCRIPTION:

CHROMOSOME NUMBER: 2n = 26.

DISTRIBUTION:

ECOLOGY: Cultivated.

EDIBLE USE: Immature fruit and leaves eaten. The former sometimes pickled.

MEDICINAL USE:

OTHER USE: Mature fruit vascular system fibers used as a bathroom or kitchen sponge, filters, stuffing for table mats and saddles, and soles of slippers.

ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE: Popular in Japan.

CONSERVATION:

CULTIVATION PRACTICES:

SEEDS AVAILABLE FROM:

LITERATURE: Naudin, C. 1859. Revue des cucurbitaceés cultiveés au Muséum, en 1859 [Survey of the Cucurbitaceae cultivated in the Museum in 1859]. Ann. Sci. Nat., Bot. ser. 4, 12: 119.

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