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(1) Partially undid the edit of Jodibus dated 18 June 2013. (2) Intro date was 17th century not 18th century. (3) www.LUFFA.info is commercial site but has worthwhile info and is not a "spam" link.
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[[File:2008.09-331-196ap Sponge gourd,pd Spice Bazaar@Istanbul,TR mon29sep2008-1315h.jpg|thumb|left|Sponges made of sponge gourd for sale alongside sponges of animal origin (Spice Bazaar at Istanbul, Turkey, September 2008).]]
[[File:2008.09-331-196ap Sponge gourd,pd Spice Bazaar@Istanbul,TR mon29sep2008-1315h.jpg|thumb|left|Sponges made of sponge gourd for sale alongside sponges of animal origin (Spice Bazaar at Istanbul, Turkey, September 2008).]]


⚫
'''''Luffa aegyptiaca''''', aka '''Egyptian cucumber''', aka '''Vietnamese luffa''', is a species of ''[[Luffa]]'' grown for its fruit. In English, luffa is also spelled '''loofah'''. The plant is an [[Annual plant|annual]] vine, native to [[South Asia]] and [[Southeast Asia]]. The about 30-cm-long fruit resembles a cucumber and the young fruit is eaten likewise as a vegetable and is commonly grown for that purpose in tropical Asia. Unlike the young fruit, the fully ripened fruit is strongly fibrous and inedible, and is used to make scrubbing [[bath sponge]]s. 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'''.<ref name=grin/> It is also called '''smooth luffa''' to distinguish it from the [[Ridged Luffa|ridged luffa]] (''Luffa acutangula''), which is used for the same purposes.<ref name=grin/>
'''''Vietnamese gourd''''' or '''''Vietnamese luffa''''' (Latin: '''''Luffa aegyptiaca''''', Vietnamese: '''''mướp hương''''') is a species of ''[[Luffa]]'' grown for its fruit. In English, luffa is also spelled '''loofah'''.
The plant is an [[Annual plant|annual]] vine, native to [[South Asia|South]] and [[Southeast Asia]].
⚫
The about 30-cm-long fruit somewhat resembles a cucumber and the young fruit is eaten likewise as a vegetable and is commonly grown for that purpose in tropical Asia. Unlike the young fruit, the fully ripened fruit is strongly fibrous and inedible, and is used to make scrubbing [[bath sponge]]s. 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'''.<ref name=grin/> It is also called '''smooth luffa''' to distinguish it from the [[Ridged Luffa|ridged luffa]] (''Luffa acutangula''), which is used for the same purposes.<ref name=grin/>
⚫
Due to its big yellow flowers, ''L. aegyptiaca'' is sometimes grown as an ornamental.


⚫
Due to its big yellow flowers, ''Luffa aegyptiaca'' is occasionally grown as an ornamental.
''L. aegyptiaca'' is best grown with a [[Trellis (architecture)|trellis]] support.<ref>[http://www.gardenguides.com/396-legacy-luffa.html ''A Legacy of Luffa''], by Elizabeth Harwick, who grows ''Luffa aegyptiaca'' successfully in South Carolina.</ref> It requires lots of heat and lots of water to thrive.


Its botanical [[specific epithet (botany)|specific epithet]], "''aegyptiaca''" (sometimes misspelled "''aegyptica''") was given to it because in the early 18th century European botanists were introduced to the plant from its cultivation in Egypt. In the European botanical literature, the plant was first described in 1706 by the botanist [[Joseph Pitton de Tournefort|Tournefort]], who called it "Luffa Arabum" (see ''[[Luffa]]'').
''Luffa aegyptiaca'' is best grown with a [[Trellis (architecture)|trellis]] support.<ref>[http://www.gardenguides.com/396-legacy-luffa.html ''A Legacy of Luffa''], by Elizabeth Harwick, who grows ''Luffa aegyptiaca'' successfully in South Carolina.</ref> It requires lots of heat and lots of water to thrive. In Vietnam, its native habitat, it is called ''mướp hương''. Its botanical [[specific epithet (botany)|specific epithet]] "''aegyptiaca''" was given to it because in the 16th century 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 called it "Egyptian Cucumber".<ref>[http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=uNsbiJt7bQ4C&pg=PA48 ''De Plantis Aegyptiis'', by Johann Veslingius], year 1638 page 48 (in Latin). Veslingius was also introducer of the name "Luffa"; more info at ''[[Luffa]]''.</ref>
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{{nutritional value| name=Dishcloth gourd, cooked, no salt
{{nutritional value| name=Dishcloth gourd, cooked, no salt
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*[http://www.floridata.com/ref/l/luff_aeg.cfm ''Luffa aegyptiaca'' at Floridata]
*[http://www.floridata.com/ref/l/luff_aeg.cfm ''Luffa aegyptiaca'' at Floridata]
*[http://www.plantnames.unimelb.edu.au/Sorting/Luffa.html Multilingual taxonomic information at the University of Melbourne]
*[http://www.plantnames.unimelb.edu.au/Sorting/Luffa.html Multilingual taxonomic information at the University of Melbourne]
*[http://luffa.info/ Luffa.info: Info on growing and using ''Luffa egyptiaca'' as a scrubbing sponge]]
* [http://www.fmnh.helsinki.fi/nayttelyt/ktp/sisalto/kasvihuoneet/Luffa_aegyptica.jpg ''Luffa aegyptiaca'' Picture]
{{WestAfricanPlants|Luffa aegyptiaca}}


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Revision as of 19:52, 4 June 2014

Luffa aegyptiaca
Egyptian luffa fruit
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Plantae
(unranked):
Angiosperms
(unranked):
Eudicots
(unranked):
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 pentandra Roxb.
  • Momordica cylindrica L.
  • Momordica luffa L.
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, September 2008).

Luffa aegyptiaca, aka Egyptian cucumber, aka Vietnamese luffa, is a species of Luffa grown for its fruit. In English, luffa is also spelled loofah. The plant is an annual vine, native to South Asia and Southeast Asia. The about 30-cm-long fruit resembles a cucumber and the young fruit is eaten likewise as a vegetable and is commonly grown for that purpose in tropical Asia. 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]

Due to its big yellow flowers, Luffa aegyptiaca is occasionally grown as an ornamental.

Luffa aegyptiaca is best grown with a trellis support.[2] It requires lots of heat and lots of water to thrive. In Vietnam, its native habitat, it is called mướp hương. Its botanical specific epithet "aegyptiaca" was given to it because in the 16th century 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 called it "Egyptian Cucumber".[3]

Dishcloth gourd, cooked, no salt
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy56 kJ (13 kcal)
14.34 g
Sugars5.17 g
Dietary fiber2.9 g
0.34 g
0.66 g
Vitamins and minerals
VitaminsQuantity
%DV†
Vitamin A260 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
MineralsQuantity
%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
Link to USDA Database entry
†Percentages estimated using US recommendations for adults,[4] except for potassium, which is estimated based on expert recommendation from the National Academies.[5]
  1. ^ a b c d GRIN (May 10, 2000). "Luffa aegyptiaca information from NPGS/GRIN". Taxonomy for Plants.
  2. ^ A Legacy of Luffa, by Elizabeth Harwick, who grows Luffa aegyptiaca successfully in South Carolina.
  3. ^ De Plantis Aegyptiis, by Johann Veslingius, year 1638 page 48 (in Latin). Veslingius was also introducer of the name "Luffa"; more info at Luffa.
  4. ^ 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.
  5. ^ 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.
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