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What fruit is used for scrubbing?

By Chelsie Vandaveer

April 11, 2002

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The loofah (Luffa aegyptiaca Miller) [luf' fa a jip' tee a ka] belongs to a horticulturally important family, the cucurbits or 'gourds'. This family has a worldwide distribution; different members were domesticated wherever agriculture started. Unlike melons, squash, and cucumbers which are eaten, loofah was and is cultivated for the netted vascular

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system found in the fruit.

Loofah are native to the Old World tropics. It is not known when or where cultivation began, but was probably in the area of India and China. A study of loofah by Ken Marr of the University of Michigan found a genetic marker that indicates the plant was domesticated only once.

Obviously useful in the ancient world, the cultivation of these natural 'scrubby pads' radiated across many civilizations. The generic name Luffa comes from its ancient Arabic name, luf. Grieve's Modern Herbal (1931) states that in the Middle East, the immature fruit were often pickled.

The plants were called rajakoshataki in Sanskrit and used in Ayurvedic medicine to treat dermatosis. Grown in Africa cultures, it is probable that slaves introduced the loofah along with melons to the New World.

Loofah cultivars are monoecious bearing both male and female flowers. The flowers are found at the nodes, the point where a leaf is connected to the vine. The lower nodes of the vine generally bear male flowers in clusters. The middle nodes bear male and female flowers and solitary female flowers are found at nodes near the end of the vine.

The Missouri Botanical Garden has a photograph of Luffa aegyptiaca taken by Barry Hammel in Costa Rica. A split gourd shows the netted vascular system. To view the photograph, click on the link:

http://www.mobot.org/MOBOT/research/gallery/Image/luffa.jpg

killerPlants Tendrils: ~~1~~2~~3~~4~~5~~

Suggested Reading:

How did gourds end up in Peru? Weird Plants - February 27, 2003
How were gourds shaped into objects of art? Renfield's Garden - February 26, 2003
What was the currency of King Henri I? What's in a Name? - February 28, 2003
What fruit crop may pre-date agriculture? Palnts that Changed History - February 25, 2003
How were gourds used as curatives? Herbal Folklore - February 24, 2003

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