Luffa aegyptiaca

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Luffa aegyptiaca
Luffa aegyptiaca compose.jpg
Egyptian luffa fruit
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Cucurbitales
Family: Cucurbitaceae
Genus: Luffa
Species:
L. aegyptiaca
Binomial name
Luffa aegyptiaca
Synonyms [1]
  • Cucurbita luffa hort.
  • Luffa cylindrica M.Roem.
  • Luffa aegyptica( lapsus )
  • Luffa aegyptiaca( Mill. )
  • Luffa pentandra Roxb.
  • Momordica cylindrica L.
  • Momordica luffaL.
Leaves, flower and fruit of a luffa Luffa aegyptiaca Blanco2.334-cropped.jpg
Leaves, flower and fruit of a luffa

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.

Contents

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.

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". [4]

Composition

Nutrition

Dishcloth (towelgourd), cooked, boiled, drained, without salt
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy 56 kJ (13 kcal)
14.34 g
Sugars 5.17 g
Dietary fiber 2.9 g
Fat
0.34 g
0.66 g
Vitamins and minerals
Vitamins Quantity
%DV
Vitamin A 260 IU
Thiamine (B1)
4%
0.046 mg
Riboflavin (B2)
3%
0.042 mg
Niacin (B3)
2%
0.26 mg
Vitamin B6
6%
0.099 mg
Folate (B9)
3%
12 μg
Vitamin C
6%
5.7 mg
Vitamin E
2%
0.24 mg
Vitamin K
1%
1.7 μg
Minerals Quantity
%DV
Calcium
1%
9 mg
Iron
2%
0.36 mg
Magnesium
5%
20 mg
Phosphorus
2%
31 mg
Potassium
15%
453 mg
Sodium
1%
21 mg
Zinc
2%
0.17 mg

Percentages estimated using US recommendations for adults, [5] except for potassium, which is estimated based on expert recommendation from the National Academies. [6]

Varieties

Cultivars in North America

According to researchers in Florida, common cultivars for Luffa aegyptiaca include Smooth Boy, Smooth Beauty, and South Winner. [7] Many other cultivars were also mentioned in the Vegetable Cultivar Description for North America List 24, 1999: [8]

Uses

Culinary

The young fruit is eaten as a vegetable and is commonly grown for that purpose in tropical Asia. The young shoots, flowers and leaves can be cooked, and the mature seeds can be roasted for consumption. [3]

Sponge

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]

Oil extract

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. [9]

The fibrous skeleton of the fruit is used as a household scrubber. The fiber is xylem. It has semi-coarse texture and good durability. Luffa sponge.png
The fibrous skeleton of the fruit is used as a household scrubber. The fiber is xylem. It has semi-coarse texture and good durability.
Sponges made of sponge gourd for sale alongside sponges of animal origin (Spice Bazaar at Istanbul, Turkey). 2008.09-331-196ap Sponge gourd,pd Spice Bazaar@Istanbul,TR mon29sep2008-1315h.jpg
Sponges made of sponge gourd for sale alongside sponges of animal origin (Spice Bazaar at Istanbul, Turkey).
Sponge gourd in a market in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Sponge gourd of Bangladesh.jpg
Sponge gourd in a market in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Art

In the Levant, Luffa aegyptiaca has been in use since late antiquity. Young fruits were used for food. Mature fruits were used as bath sponges. Roman mosiacs featuring Luffa aegyptiaca fruits have been discovered in churches and synagogues throughout Israel and the occupied territories.

Luffa in Kursi mosaic, Golan Heights Kursi, Golan Heights 12.JPG
Luffa in Kursi mosaic, Golan Heights
Luffa in mosaic at Beth Alfa synagogue Beth Alfa Synagogue Mosaic 08.JPG
Luffa in mosaic at Beth Alfa synagogue

Cultivation

Luffa has been cultivated throughout Asia for centuries for use as a household cleaning agent and is now, due to the gently abrasive quality of the natural fibers, a popular exfoliating agent in the eco-friendly cosmetic industry. [10] Owing to its striking yellow flowers, the plant is occasionally grown as an ornamental.

Climate

It requires much heat and a lot of water to thrive. [11] However, Luffa aegyptiaca can be cultivated in temperate climates. Research from North Carolina suggests that commercial production of luffa in the United States could be economically viable. [12]

Growth

Techniques that contribute to success in growing luffa include using black mulch to warm soil temperatures and transplants to increase the germination rate and extend the growing season. Narrow spacing may result in poorer quality sponges. [10] It is best grown with a trellis support for its curled tendrils to hang on to. [13] [14]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fruit</span> Seed-bearing part of a flowering plant

In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rambutan</span> Southeast Asian fruit

Rambutan is a medium-sized tropical tree in the family Sapindaceae. The name also refers to the edible fruit produced by this tree. The rambutan is native to Southeast Asia. It is closely related to several other edible tropical fruits, including the lychee, longan, pulasan, and quenepa.

<i>Luffa</i> Genus of vines

Luffa is a genus of tropical and subtropical vines in the pumpkin, squash and gourd family (Cucurbitaceae).

<i>Cucurbita</i> Genus of herbaceous vines in the gourd family, Cucurbitaceae

Cucurbita is a genus of herbaceous fruits in the gourd family, Cucurbitaceae, native to the Andes and Mesoamerica. Five edible species are grown and consumed for their flesh and seeds. They are variously known as squash, pumpkin, or gourd, depending on species, variety, and local parlance. Other kinds of gourd, also called bottle-gourds, are native to Africa and belong to the genus Lagenaria, which is in the same family and subfamily as Cucurbita, but in a different tribe. These other gourds are used as utensils or vessels, and their young fruits are eaten much like those of the Cucurbita species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Melon</span> Type of fruit

A melon is any of various plants of the family Cucurbitaceae with sweet, edible, and fleshy fruit. The word "melon" can refer to either the plant or specifically to the fruit. Botanically, a melon is a kind of berry, specifically a "pepo". The word melon derives from Latin melopepo, which is the latinization of the Greek μηλοπέπων (mēlopepōn), meaning "melon", itself a compound of μῆλον (mēlon), "apple", treefruit " and πέπων (pepōn), amongst others "a kind of gourd or melon". Many different cultivars have been produced, particularly of cantaloupes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wax gourd</span> Species of vine and edible fruit

Benincasa hispida, the wax gourd, also called ash gourd, white gourd, winter gourd, winter melon, tallow gourd, ash pumpkin, Chinese preserving melon, is a vine grown for its very large fruit, eaten as a vegetable when mature. It is the only member of the genus Benincasa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Calabash</span> Species of bottle gourd plant

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<i>Nelumbo nucifera</i> Species of aquatic flowering plant

Nelumbo nucifera, also known as sacred lotus, Indian lotus, or simply lotus, is one of two extant species of aquatic plant in the family Nelumbonaceae. It is sometimes colloquially called a water lily, though this more often refers to members of the family Nymphaeaceae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chayote</span> Plant of the gourd family and its edible fruit, originally native to Mesoamerica

Chayote or Sicyos edulis, also known as christophine, mirliton and choko, is an edible plant belonging to the gourd family, Cucurbitaceae. This fruit was first cultivated in Mesoamerica between southern Mexico and Honduras, with the most genetic diversity available in both Mexico and Guatemala. It is one of several foods introduced to the Old World during the Columbian Exchange. At that time, the plant spread to other parts of the Americas, ultimately causing it to be integrated into the cuisine of many Latin American nations.

<i>Ziziphus mauritiana</i> Species of plant

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<i>Trichosanthes cucumerina</i> Species of vine

Trichosanthes cucumerina is a tropical or subtropical vine. Its variety T. cucumerina var. anguina raised for its strikingly long fruit. In Asia, it is eaten immature as a vegetable much like the summer squash and in Africa, the reddish pulp of mature snake gourd is used as an economical substitute for tomato. Common names for the cultivated variety include snake gourd, serpent gourd, chichindapadwal and Snake Tomato.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gac</span> Species of melon

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<i>Luffa operculata</i> Species of flowering plant

Luffa operculata 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.

<i>Luffa acutangula</i> Species of flowering plant

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, silk gourd,

<i>Diaphania indica</i> Species of moth

Diaphania indica, the cucumber moth or cotton caterpillar, is a widespread but mainly Old World moth species. It belongs to the grass moth family, and therein to the large subfamily Spilomelinae. This moth occurs in many tropical and subtropical regions outside the Americas, though it is native to southern Asia; it is occasionally a significant pest of cucurbits and some other plants.

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References

  1. 1 2 3 "Luffa aegyptiaca". Germplasm Resources Information Network . Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture . Retrieved 21 December 2017.
  2. USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Luffa aegyptiaca". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 23 June 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 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.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  4. Johann Veslingius, De Plantis Aegyptiis, 1638. p. 48 (in Latin)
  5. United States Food and Drug Administration (2024). "Daily Value on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels". FDA. Archived from the original on 2024-03-27. Retrieved 2024-03-28.
  6. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; Health and Medicine Division; Food and Nutrition Board; Committee to Review the Dietary Reference Intakes for Sodium and Potassium (2019). Oria, Maria; Harrison, Meghan; Stallings, Virginia A. (eds.). Dietary Reference Intakes for Sodium and Potassium. The National Academies Collection: Reports funded by National Institutes of Health. Washington, DC: National Academies Press (US). ISBN   978-0-309-48834-1. PMID   30844154. Archived from the original on 2024-05-09. Retrieved 2024-06-21.
  7. Xie, Yucong; Liu, Guodong; Li, Yuncong; Migilaccio, Kati. "HS1285/HS1285: Luffa—an Asian Vegetable Emerging in Florida". edis.ifas.ufl.edu. Retrieved 2022-10-18.
  8. Wehner, Todd C. (1999-08-01). "Vegetable Cultivar Descriptions for North America List 24 1999". HortScience. 34 (5): 763–806. doi: 10.21273/HORTSCI.34.5.763 . ISSN   0018-5345.
  9. 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
  10. 1 2 "Luffa Gourds". Washington State University Extension. Retrieved 2022-10-20.
  11. Davis, Jeanine M. (1994-04-01). "Luffa Sponge Gourd Production Practices for Temperate Climates". HortScience. 29 (4): 263–266. doi: 10.21273/HORTSCI.29.4.263 . ISSN   0018-5345.
  12. Davis, Jeanine (December 12, 2018). "Commercial Luffa Sponge Gourd Production | NC State Extension Publications". content.ces.ncsu.edu. Retrieved 2022-10-18.
  13. Harwick, Elizabeth (2017-09-21). "A Legacy of Luffa". Garden Guides. Archived from the original on 2020-11-30. growing Luffa cylindrica successfully in South Carolina.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  14. Hassani, Nadia (2022-04-05). Harris, Sonya (ed.). "How to Grow and Care for Luffa" (HTML). The Spruce . New York: Dotdash Meredith . Retrieved 2023-04-18. A trellis like those used for cucumbers and pole beans works well [...] add string in a V-pattern so the tendrils of the vines have something to grab onto.

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