Smooth loofah, sponge gourd or vegetable sponge
Family Cucurbitaceae
Luffa cylindrica (= Luffa aegyptiaca), smooth loofah, sponge gourd or vegetable sponge (L. cylindrica 1), is a monoecious annual climber with an angled stem; dark green 5-7 lobed leaves and axillary borne yellow flowers, 5-10 cm across; the male ones in clusters, the female ones solitary. The cylindrical fruits are striped, 20-40 cm long.
Use
The sponge gourd is of ancient cultivation in Asia and is nowadays widespread over all tropical regions. In India and the Far East the young fruits are eaten as a cooked vegetable or eaten fresh like cucumbers.
The sponge is the fibro-vascular network of the ripe fruit (L. cylindrica 2), and is used as a bath sponge, brush, in mats, filters and other products. The seeds yield edible oil.