Luffa

Luffa
Egyptian luffa with nearly mature fruit
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Cucurbitales
Family:	Cucurbitaceae
Subfamily:	Cucurbitoideae
Tribe:	Sicyoeae
Genus:	Luffa Mill.
Species
Luffa acutangula (angled luffa, ridged luffa, vegetable gourd) Luffa aegyptiaca / Luffa cylindrica (smooth luffa, Egyptian luffa, dishrag gourd, gourd loofa) Luffa operculata (wild loofa, sponge cucumber)
Synonyms
Poppya Neck. ex M.Roem. Trevauxia Steud., orth. var. Trevouxia Scop. Torai Forssk.

A luffa (also spelled loofah or loofa) is a long thin dried inner part of the fruit of a tropical plant related to the cucumber . It is often used as a sponge for washing the body. Before it gets ripe, it is also a good vegetable. It also comes from dried corn on the cob stems.

• 
  Luffa operculata
• 
  Luffa aegyptiaca
• 
  A luffa sponge

Other websites

Data related to Luffa at Wikispecies