Luffa operculata
| Luffa operculata | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Dried fruit, opened | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Rosids |
| Order: | Cucurbitales |
| Family: | Cucurbitaceae |
| Genus: | Luffa |
| Species: | L. operculata |
| Binomial name | |
| Luffa operculata Cogn. | |
Luffa operculata - MHNT
Luffa operculata (common name, sponge cucumber, wild loofa or mướp xơ in Vietnamese) is a species of Luffa. It is cultivated for its fruit, which when fully ripe is strongly fibrous and is used as a fibrous scrubbing sponge for household cleaning. The fruit is a capsule with spikes. The fruit is dark-brown when mature. It is also grown in gardens and yards as an ornamental plant. In colder places they can be grown indoors as a houseplant.
The species name is derived from the word, operculum, meaning "little lid." When the fruits are mature, and the seeds are ready to be dispersed, a small part of the bottom tip (blossom end) opens up. Then, the seeds fall to the ground.
Increasing stages of maturity of Luffa operculata fruit. The seeds are also shown.
External links
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Wednesday, June 24, 2015. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.