Luffa acutangula

(Linnaeus) Roxburgh

Fl. Ind. ed. 1832, 3: 713. 1832.

Common names: Sponge or ridged gourd Sinkwa towel sponge Chinese squash
Introduced
Basionym: Cucumis acutangulus Linnaeus Sp. Pl. 2: 1011. 1753
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 6. Treatment on page 14. Mentioned on page 13.

Distribution

V6 14-distribution-map.jpg

La., Va., Asia (India), Asia (Pakistan), also in West Indies (Puerto Rico)

Discussion

Varieties 2 (1 in the flora).

Variety amara (Roxburgh) C. B. Clarke is native in India and Pakistan; compared to the typical variety, it has leaves small and softly villous, petal apices round or scarcely emarginate, and fruits smaller and obovoid-oblong. The range and magnitude of difference suggests that var. amara may be justifiably treated as a distinct species, depending on the degree of isolation.

Selected References

None.

"broad" is not a number.

... more about "Luffa acutangula"
distinct +  and connate +
Guy L. Nesom +
(Linnaeus) Roxburgh +
Cucumis acutangulus +
(3-)5-7-lobed;suborbiculate;ovate-cordate +
tubular +, saucer--shaped +, campanulate +  and rotate +
Sponge or ridged gourd +, Sinkwa towel sponge +  and Chinese squash +
campanulate +
La. +, Va. +, Asia (India) +, Asia (Pakistan) +  and also in West Indies (Puerto Rico) +
furrowed +  and echinate +
dehiscent +  and indehiscent +
bristly +, smooth +, hairy +  and glabrous +
tuberculate +  and muricate +
fleshy +  and hard +
pistillate +  and staminate +
6 cm60 mm <br />0.06 m <br /> (15 cm150 mm <br />0.15 m <br />) +
brownish +, white-striped +  and greenish +
15 cm150 mm <br />0.15 m <br /> (50 cm500 mm <br />0.5 m <br />) +
perennial +
dioecious +  and monoecious +
campanulate +
umbellate;subumbellate +
solitary +, corymbose +, fasciculate +, racemose +  and paniculate +
petiolate +, estipulate +  and simple +
broadly ovate;triangular suborbiculate oblong-ovate oblong-triangular or depressed-ovate +
not +  and winged +
dentate +  and sublobulate-dentate +
sinuate-toothed +, sinuate +  and entire +
subglobose;cylindric +
induplicate-valvate +  and imbricate +
distinct +
obcordate;obovate oblong-obovate or obovate-cuneate +
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (4.5 cm45 mm <br />0.045 m <br />) +
Fl. Ind. ed. +
not arillate +
compressed +, broadly ellipsoid +  and oblong-ellipsoid or ellipsoid-ovoid +
straight +
triangular-lanceolate +
Introduced +
climbing +  and procumbent +
sprawling +  and prostrate +
hirsute;scabrous +
columnar +
gland-dotted +
roughened +  and smooth +
Luffa acutangula +
species +
[2-]3-6-branched +
plant +  and climbing +