Luffa Acutangula (L.) Roxb. (Cucurbitaceae)
A fast growing annual, climbing to a considerable height by means of tendrils. The fruit is about 25-30 cm long, dark green with ten angular ridges, widening from its point of attachment to its stalk. The style is persistent. The seeds are light brown and crinkled. The rind is almost papery and may be peeled off at maturity. The fibrous network thus revealed has many uses and this fibrous skeleton is much stronger and rougher in L. cylindrical (the smooth loofah) than in L. acutangula.
Origin
It is probably native to India where the wild forms with bitter fruits occur. The
cultivated forms show little variation from the wild except that less bitter varieties are
selected.
The fruit is peeled, cut into slices and cooked as a vegetable. The other species of loofah, L. cylindrical, has greater commercial importance, being employed in the cleaning of glassware, utensils, dishes, etc. and commonly called the dish rag gourd. It is also used in Chinese medicine.