View source for Luffa

{{Treatment/ID
|accepted_name=Luffa
|accepted_authority=Miller
|publications={{Treatment/Publication
|title=Gard. Dict. Abr. ed.
|place=4, vol. 2. 1754
|year=1754
}}
|common_names=Vegetable sponge;loofah
|special_status={{Treatment/ID/Special_status
|code=I
|label=Introduced
}}
|basionyms=
|synonyms=
|hierarchy=Cucurbitaceae;Luffa
|hierarchy_nav=<div class="higher-taxa"><div class="higher-taxon"><small>family</small>[[Cucurbitaceae]]</div><div class="higher-taxon"><small>genus</small>[[Luffa]]</div></div>
|etymology=Arabic lufah, name for L. aegyptiaca
|volume=Volume 6
|mention_page=page 4, 7
|treatment_page=page 13
}}<!--

--><span class="statement" id="st-d0_s0" data-properties="whole_organism duration;whole_organism reproduction;whole_organism growth form;whole_organism orientation;whole_organism growth form"><b>Plants </b>annual, monoecious, climbing or trailing;</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s1" data-properties="stem pubescence">stems villous or hirsute to scabrous;</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s2" data-properties="root texture">roots fibrous;</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s3" data-properties="tendril architecture">tendrils [2–] 3–6-branched.</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s4" data-properties="blade shape;blade shape;lobe shape;lobe shape;lobe shape;lobe shape;lobe shape;margin shape;margin shape;margin shape;margin architecture or shape;margin architecture or shape;surface architecture;surface coloration"><b>Leaves:</b> blade suborbiculate to ovate-cordate [triangular], palmately (3–) 5–7-lobed, [rarely subentire], lobes broadly ovate to triangular, suborbiculate, oblong-ovate, oblong-triangular, or depressed-ovate, margins entire or sinuate, sinuate-toothed, sublobulate-dentate, or coarsely dentate, surfaces eglandular or gland-dotted.</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s5" data-properties="flower architecture;flower atypical quantity;flower quantity"><b>Inflorescences:</b> staminate flowers (5–) 15–20 in axillary racemes, opening one at time in sequence acropetally;</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s6" data-properties="flower architecture;flower architecture or arrangement or growth form">pistillate flowers solitary, in same or different axils as staminate;</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s7" data-properties="bract duration;bract arrangement or course or shape">bracts caducous, linear.</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s8" data-properties="hypanthium shape"><b>Flowers:</b> hypanthium campanulate;</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s9" data-properties="sepal quantity;sepal orientation;sepal course;sepal shape">sepals 5, erect, straight, triangular-lanceolate;</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s10" data-properties="petal quantity;petal fusion;petal coloration;petal shape;petal shape;petal shape;petal some measurement;petal pubescence;corolla shape">petals 5, distinct, yellow, obcordate to obovate, oblong-obovate, or obovate-cuneate, 20–45 mm, glabrous, corolla shallowly campanulate [rotate, ± flat].</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s11" data-properties="flower architecture;stamen atypical quantity;stamen quantity;stamen architecture or structure in adjective form;other architecture or structure in adjective form;other architecture or structure in adjective form"><b>Staminate </b>flowers: stamens (3–) 5, one 1-locular, others 2-locular or all monothecous;</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s12" data-properties="flower architecture;filament fusion">filaments inserted on or near hypanthium rim, distinct;</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s13" data-properties="flower architecture;theca fusion;theca course or shape;theca arrangement or shape;connective width">thecae connate, sigmoid, contorted, connective slightly broadened;</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s14" data-properties="flower architecture;pistillode presence">pistillodes absent.</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s15" data-properties="flower architecture;ovary architecture or structure in adjective form;ovary shape"><b>Pistillate </b>flowers: ovary 3 (–6) -locular, subglobose to cylindric;</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s16" data-properties="flower architecture;ovule quantity">ovules 30–100 per locule;</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s17" data-properties="flower architecture;style quantity;style shape">style 1, columnar;</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s18" data-properties="flower architecture;stigma quantity;stigma shape">stigmas 3, 2-lobed;</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s19" data-properties="flower architecture;staminode atypical quantity;staminode quantity">staminodes 3 (–5).</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s20" data-properties="fruits pepo coloration;fruits pepo coloration;fruits pepo condition;fruits pepo coloration;fruits pepo shape;fruits pepo atypical some measurement;fruits pepo some measurement;fruits pepo architecture or pubescence or relief;fruits pepo pubescence;fruits pepo dehiscence;internal network texture"><b>Fruits </b>pepos, usually greenish, sometimes white-striped, drying brownish, cylindric to narrowly clavate [subglobose], (6–) 15–50 cm, smooth [ribbed, aculeate-scabrous, or densely echinate], glabrous, with rigid internal network of fibrovascular bundles, dehiscent by apical operculum.</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s21" data-properties="seed quantity;seed shape;seed shape;seed architecture;beak width;margin architecture;margin architecture"><b>Seeds </b>100–300, broadly ellipsoid to oblong-ellipsoid or ellipsoid-ovoid, compressed, not arillate, sometimes with broad beak, margins winged or not, surface smooth or roughened.</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s22" data-properties="surface relief;surface relief;x chromosome quantity">x = 13.</span><!--

-->{{Treatment/Body
|distribution=Central America;South America;Asia
|introduced=true
|discussion=<p>Species 7 (2 in the flora).</p><!--
--><p>Young and tender fruits of both species of Luffa in the flora area are used as vegetables. The mature fruit is inedible due to the hardened network of fibrovascular bundles that forms the loofah “sponge.” The sponges are commonly used for scrubbing and cleaning.</p><!--
--><p>Four Luffa species are native in the Old World (including the two treated here) and three in the New World. Both of the widely cultivated species, L. acutangula and L. aegyptiaca, apparently originated in the India-Pakistan region and are closely related to each other (B. Dutt and R. P. Roy 1990; C. B. Heiser and E. E. Schilling 1990). The Asian species are more distinctly differentiated among themselves than are the American ones.</p>
|tables=
|references=
}}<!--

--><div class="treatment-key">
==Key==
<div class="treatment-key-group">
  
{| class="wikitable fna-keytable"
|-id=key-0-1
|1
|Pepos narrowly clavate, 10-angled; petals pale yellow; seeds beaked, beak margins obscurely winged.
|[[Luffa acutangula|Luffa acutangula]]
|-id=key-0-1
|1
|Pepos cylindric, not angled; petals bright yellow; seeds not beaked, margins with wings ca. l mm wide.
|[[Luffa aegyptiaca|Luffa aegyptiaca]]
|}
</div></div><!--

-->{{#Taxon:
name=Luffa
|authority=Miller
|rank=genus
|parent rank=family
|synonyms=
|basionyms=
|family=Cucurbitaceae
|distribution=Central America;South America;Asia
|introduced=true
|reference=None
|publication title=Gard. Dict. Abr. ed.
|publication year=1754
|special status=Introduced
|source xml=https://bibilujan@bitbucket.org/aafc-mbb/fna-fine-grained-xml.git/src/84153f6d59a0a91d69695978a64cee7560374f8e/V6/V6_13.xml
|genus=Luffa
|beak width=broad
|blade shape=(3-)5-7-lobed;suborbiculate;ovate-cordate
|bract arrangement or course or shape=linear
|bract duration=caducous
|connective width=broadened
|corolla shape=campanulate
|filament fusion=distinct
|flower architecture=pistillate;pistillate;pistillate;pistillate;pistillate;staminate;staminate;staminate;staminate;pistillate;staminate
|flower architecture or arrangement or growth form=solitary
|flower atypical quantity=5;15
|flower quantity=15;20
|fruits pepo architecture or pubescence or relief=smooth
|fruits pepo atypical some measurement=6cm;15cm
|fruits pepo coloration=brownish;white-striped;greenish
|fruits pepo condition=drying
|fruits pepo dehiscence=dehiscent
|fruits pepo pubescence=glabrous
|fruits pepo shape=cylindric;narrowly clavate
|fruits pepo some measurement=15cm;50cm
|hypanthium shape=campanulate
|internal network texture=rigid
|lobe shape=broadly ovate;triangular suborbiculate oblong-ovate oblong-triangular or depressed-ovate
|margin architecture=not;winged
|margin architecture or shape=dentate;sublobulate-dentate
|margin shape=sinuate-toothed;sinuate;entire
|other architecture or structure in adjective form=all;2-locular
|ovary architecture or structure in adjective form=3(-6)-locular
|ovary shape=subglobose;cylindric
|ovule quantity=30;100
|petal coloration=yellow
|petal fusion=distinct
|petal pubescence=glabrous
|petal quantity=5
|petal shape=obcordate;obovate oblong-obovate or obovate-cuneate
|petal some measurement=20mm;45mm
|pistillode presence=absent
|root texture=fibrous
|seed architecture=not arillate
|seed quantity=100;300
|seed shape=compressed;broadly ellipsoid;oblong-ellipsoid or ellipsoid-ovoid
|sepal course=straight
|sepal orientation=erect
|sepal quantity=5
|sepal shape=triangular-lanceolate
|stamen architecture or structure in adjective form=1-locular
|stamen atypical quantity=3;5
|stamen quantity=5
|staminode atypical quantity=3;5
|staminode quantity=3
|stem pubescence=hirsute;scabrous
|stigma quantity=3
|stigma shape=2-lobed
|style quantity=1
|style shape=columnar
|surface architecture=eglandular
|surface coloration=gland-dotted
|surface relief=roughened;smooth
|tendril architecture=[2-]3-6-branched
|theca arrangement or shape=contorted
|theca course or shape=sigmoid
|theca fusion=connate
|whole_organism duration=annual
|whole_organism growth form=plant;climbing
|whole_organism orientation=trailing
|whole_organism reproduction=monoecious
|x chromosome quantity=13
}}<!--

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