Martha's exotic Backyard in Israel

Luffa aegyptiaca, Luffa cylindrica, Sponge gourd,
Loofah/Lufah, לופה

Scientific name:  Luffa aegyptiaca Mill.
Synonym name:   Luffa cylindrica M. Roem.
Common name:  Sponge gourd, Loofah/Lufah, sponge gourd, vegetable sponge, bath sponge or dish cloth gourd
Hebrew name:   לופה
Arabic name:   لوف
Family:  Cucurbitaceae , Cucumber family

Bilder på blommor, Bilder av exotiska blommor

Life form:  Annual,vine
Stems:  Five angled stems with tendrils on the axils of leaves to facilitate climbing; vine more than 9 m long
Leaves:  Alternate, palmately lobed; hairless, serrated margin
Inflorescence:  Staminate flowers in racemes of 4-20 and contain five free stamens; pistillate flowers either singly on a separate node or in association with staminate inflorescence; the lower nodes usually bear only staminate inflorescence, middle nodes both staminate inflorescence and pistillate flowers, and terminal nodes only pistillate flowers
Flowers:  Monoecious,5 yellow petals; 5-7.5 cm in diameter
Fruits / pods:  Gourd, shaped like cucumbers, green with longitudinal marked lines, up to 60 cm long and c.7.5 cm in diameter, shaped like a large cylindrical pepo (a fleshy watery fruit); flat blackish seeds
Flowering Period:  Summer
Habitat:  Well drained sandy loam soil, rich in organic matter
Luffa aegyptiaca, Luffa cylindrica, Sponge gourd, לופה


Derivation of the botanical name:
Luffa, from Egyptian Arabic lufah, the Arabic name of the plant.
aegyptiaca, from Egypt.
cylindrica, κυλινδροϛ cylindrus, cylinder, roller; cylindrical.
  • The standard author abbreviation Mill. is used to indicate Philip Miller (1691 – 1771), a Scottish botanist.
  • The standard author abbreviation M.Roem is used to indicate Max Joseph Roemer (1791 – 1849), a German botanist.