Encyclopedia of Life · EOL (see source)
Luffa acutangula
Sign in to saveAlso known as Chinese okra, silk gourd, angled luffa, vegetable gourd, turai
species of plant
OverviewAI-generated
Luffa acutangula is a species of plant in the family Cucurbitaceae, belonging to the genus Luffa. It is classified within the order Cucurbitales, class Magnoliopsida, phylum Tracheophyta, and kingdom Plantae. The species has several common names, including sinkwa, towelsponge, veta kola, 广东丝瓜, 棱角丝瓜, and 野黄麻. It is used as a medicinal plant and for food.
The native range of Luffa acutangula includes Assam, Bangladesh, East Himalaya, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and West Himalaya. Records also indicate its presence in China, specifically in Fujian, Tibet Autonomous Region, and Guangdong. Additional occurrences have been documented in Mexico, the Philippines, Thailand, and the United States. The species has 1,584 occurrence records and 323 records with 270 media files held by institutions such as INECOL, IBUNAM, MICH, ANSP, and CDA.
Synthesized by Vinony from 31 facts across 6 sources: Wikidata, GBIF, Gbif Occ, Plants of the World, iDigBio, Vinony graph. Generated from structured data (not the Wikipedia text) and checked against those facts — may still contain errors.
Species
SPECIES
- KingdomPlantae
- PhylumTracheophyta
- ClassMagnoliopsida
- OrderCucurbitales
- FamilyCucurbitaceae
Die Flügelgurke (Luffa acutangula) ist eine Pflanzenart aus der Gattung Luffa in der Familie der Kürbisgewächse (Cucurbitaceae). Sie kommt in Pakistan sowie dem nördlichen Indien natürlich vor und wird in anderen Teilen Asiens, in Australien, Amerika sowie in Afrika kultiviert.
via GBIF · Kew POWO
Museum specimens
- Specimen records
- 323
- With media
- 270
- Family
- Cucurbitaceae
- Collections
- INECOL, IBUNAM, MICH, ANSP, CDA, CM
- Recorded in
- Mexico, Philippines, Thailand, India, United States, Vietnam, Micronesia, Federated States Of, El Salvador
~1 min read
Encyclopedic overview
Luffa acutangula is a cucurbitaceous vine commercially grown for its unripe fruits as a vegetable. Mature fruits are used as natural cleaning sponges. Its fruit slightly resembles a cucumber or zucchini with ridges. It is native to South Asia and has been naturalised in other regions. It is also grown as a houseplant in places with colder climates. English common English names include angled luffa, Chinese okra, dish cloth gourd, ridged gourd, sponge gourd, vegetable gourd, strainer vine, ribbed loofah, silky gourd, and silk gourd.
Uses
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Luffa acutangula” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.