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Luffa
''Luffa'' is a genus of tropical and subtropical vines in the pumpkin, squash and gourd family (Cucurbitaceae). In everyday non-technical usage, the luffa, also spelled loofah or less frequently loofa, usually refers to the fruits of the species '' Luffa aegyptiaca'' and '' Luffa acutangula''. It is cultivated and eaten as a vegetable, but must be harvested at a young stage of development to be edible. The vegetable is popular in India, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Vietnam. When the fruit fully ripens, it becomes too fibrous for eating. The fully developed fruit is the source of the loofah scrubbing sponge. Names The name ''luffa'' was taken by European botanists in the 17th century from the Arabic name ''lūf''.The plant name "luffa" was introduced to Western botany nomenclature by the botanist Johann Vesling (died 1649), who visited Egypt in the late–1620s and described the plant under cultivation with artificial irrigation in Egypt. In 1706 the botanist Joseph P ...
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Luffa Astorii
''Luffa'' is a genus of tropical and subtropical vines in the pumpkin, Squash (plant), squash and gourd family (Cucurbitaceae). In everyday non-technical usage, the luffa, also spelled loofah or less frequently loofa, usually refers to the fruits of the species ''Luffa aegyptiaca'' and ''Luffa acutangula''. It is cultivated and eaten as a vegetable, but must be harvested at a young stage of development to be edible. The vegetable is popular in India, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Vietnam. When the fruit fully ripens, it becomes too fibrous for eating. The fully developed fruit is the source of the loofah Sponge (tool), scrubbing sponge. Names The name ''luffa'' was taken by European botanists in the 17th century from the Arabic name ''lūf''.The plant name "luffa" was introduced to Western botany nomenclature by the botanist Johann Vesling (died 1649), who visited Egypt in the late–1620s and described the plant under cultivation with artificial irrigation in Egypt. In ...
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Luffa Graveolens
''Luffa'' is a genus of tropical and subtropical vines in the pumpkin, squash and gourd family (Cucurbitaceae). In everyday non-technical usage, the luffa, also spelled loofah or less frequently loofa, usually refers to the fruits of the species ''Luffa aegyptiaca'' and '' Luffa acutangula''. It is cultivated and eaten as a vegetable, but must be harvested at a young stage of development to be edible. The vegetable is popular in India, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Vietnam. When the fruit fully ripens, it becomes too fibrous for eating. The fully developed fruit is the source of the loofah scrubbing sponge. Names The name ''luffa'' was taken by European botanists in the 17th century from the Arabic name ''lūf''.The plant name "luffa" was introduced to Western botany nomenclature by the botanist Johann Vesling (died 1649), who visited Egypt in the late–1620s and described the plant under cultivation with artificial irrigation in Egypt. In 1706 the botanist Joseph Pit ...
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Luffa Saccata
''Luffa'' is a genus of tropical and subtropical vines in the pumpkin, Squash (plant), squash and gourd family (Cucurbitaceae). In everyday non-technical usage, the luffa, also spelled loofah or less frequently loofa, usually refers to the fruits of the species ''Luffa aegyptiaca'' and ''Luffa acutangula''. It is cultivated and eaten as a vegetable, but must be harvested at a young stage of development to be edible. The vegetable is popular in India, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Vietnam. When the fruit fully ripens, it becomes too fibrous for eating. The fully developed fruit is the source of the loofah Sponge (tool), scrubbing sponge. Names The name ''luffa'' was taken by European botanists in the 17th century from the Arabic name ''lūf''.The plant name "luffa" was introduced to Western botany nomenclature by the botanist Johann Vesling (died 1649), who visited Egypt in the late–1620s and described the plant under cultivation with artificial irrigation in Egypt. In ...
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Luffa Sepium
''Luffa'' is a genus of tropical and subtropical vines in the pumpkin, squash and gourd family (Cucurbitaceae). In everyday non-technical usage, the luffa, also spelled loofah or less frequently loofa, usually refers to the fruits of the species ''Luffa aegyptiaca'' and '' Luffa acutangula''. It is cultivated and eaten as a vegetable, but must be harvested at a young stage of development to be edible. The vegetable is popular in India, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Vietnam. When the fruit fully ripens, it becomes too fibrous for eating. The fully developed fruit is the source of the loofah scrubbing sponge. Names The name ''luffa'' was taken by European botanists in the 17th century from the Arabic name ''lūf''.The plant name "luffa" was introduced to Western botany nomenclature by the botanist Johann Vesling (died 1649), who visited Egypt in the late–1620s and described the plant under cultivation with artificial irrigation in Egypt. In 1706 the botanist Joseph Pit ...
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Luffa Aegyptiaca
''Luffa aegyptiaca'', the sponge gourd, 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 wide. The fruit, approximately long and maturing to brown, resembles a cucumber in shape and size. History 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". Composition Nutrition Varieties Cultivars in North America According to researchers in Florida, common cultivars for ''Luffa aegyptiaca'' include Smooth Boy, Smooth Beauty, and South Winner. Many other cultivars were also mentioned in the Vegetable Cultivar Description for No ...
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Gourd
Gourds include the fruits of some flowering plant species in the family Cucurbitaceae, particularly '' Cucurbita'' and '' Lagenaria''. The term refers to a number of species and subspecies, many with hard shells, and some without. Many gourds have large, bulbous bodies and long necks, such as Dipper Gourds, many variations of Bottle Gourd and caveman club gourds. One of the earliest domesticated types of plants, subspecies of the bottle gourd, '' Lagenaria siceraria'', have been discovered in archaeological sites dating from as early as 13,000 BC. Gourds have had numerous uses throughout history, including as tools, musical instruments, objects of art, film, and food. Terminology ''Gourd'' is occasionally used to describe crop plants in the family Cucurbitaceae, like pumpkins, cucumbers, squash, luffa, and melons. More specifically, ''gourd'' refers to the fruits of plants in the two Cucurbitaceae genera '' Lagenaria'' and '' Cucurbita'', or also to their hollow, dried-ou ...
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Cucurbitaceae
The Cucurbitaceae (), also called cucurbits or the gourd family, are a plant family (biology), family consisting of about 965 species in 101 genera.Cucurbitaceae Juss.
''Plants of the World Online''. Retrieved 10 June 2024.
Those of most agricultural, commercial or nutritional value to humans include: *''Cucurbita'' – Squash (plant), squash, pumpkin, zucchini (courgette), some gourds. *''Lagenaria'' – calabash (bottle gourd) and other, ornamental gourds. *''Citrullus'' – watermelon (''C. lanatus'', ''C. colocynthis''), plus several other species. *''Cucumis'' – cucumber (''C. sativus''); various melons and vines. *''Momordica'' – Momordica charantia, bitter melon. *''Luffa'' – commonly called 'luffa' or ‘luffa squash'; sometimes spelled loofah. Young fruits may be cooked; when fully ripened, the ...
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Luffa Acutangula
''Luffa acutangula'' is a cucurbitaceous vine that is commercially grown for its unripe fruits as a vegetable. Mature fruits are used as natural cleaning sponges. Its fruit slightly resembles a cucumber or zucchini with ridges. It is native to South Asia and has been naturalised in other regions. It is also grown as a houseplant in places with colder climates. English common names include angled luffa, Chinese okra, dish cloth gourd, ridged gourd, sponge gourd, vegetable gourd, strainer vine, ribbed loofah, silky gourd, and silk gourd.M.M.P.N.D. - Sorting Luffa names
Plantnames.unimelb.edu.au (2000-02-06). Retrieved on 2014-05-26.


Uses

The young fruits of some ''Luffa''

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Luffa Operculata
''Luffa operculata'' (common name, sponge cucumber, wild loofa, ''buchinha'' in Brazil or ''mướp xơ'' in Vietnamese) is a species of ''Luffa'' native to South and Central America. It is cultivated for its fruit, which when fully ripe is strongly fibrous and is used as a fibrous scrubbing sponge for household cleaning. The fruit is a capsule with spikes. The fruit is dark-brown when mature. It is also grown in gardens and yards as an ornamental plant. In colder places they can be grown indoors as a houseplant. The species name is derived from the word, ''operculum'', meaning "little lid." When the fruits are mature, and the seeds are ready to be dispersed, a small part of the bottom tip (blossom end) opens up. Then, the seeds fall to the ground. Luffa is used as an herbal remedy, with some pharmacological activity found in animal tests and insufficient data proving effectiveness in humans. Its use in homeopathy Homeopathy or homoeopathy is a pseudoscientific syst ...
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