Luffa
(Louff is the Arabic name of L. aegyptiaca). ORD. Cucurbitaceae. A genus comprising about half-a-score species of glabrous, scabrous, or pubescent, stove, annual herbs, natives of the warm regions of the globe, one being indigenous to America. Flowers white, rather large, monoecious; racemes of the male flowers long-peduncled; female flowers solitary. Fruit oblong or cylindrical, smooth or prickly, fibrous within and containing many seeds. Leaves five to seven-lobed; petioles eglandulose at apex; tendrils twice or many-fid. Some of the gourds of this genus possess a very disagree-able odour. For culture, &c., see Gourds.
L. acutangula (acute-angled). fl. bright yellow. September. l. cordate, five to seven-angled, the angles acute, toothed. Stem sulcate. Tropical Africa, &c. (B. M. 1638, under name of L. foetida.) L. foetida (stinking). A synonym of L. acutangula.