Luffa acutangula (L.) Roxb. (Cucurbitaceae)

Scientific name
Luffa acutangula (L.) Roxb.
Family name
Cucurbitaceae
Common name
Angled loofah, angled gourd (English); tokado hechima (Japanese)
Local name
Buap liam
Annual climber, 3–6 m long or longer. Stem slender, angular. Leaves palmate-lobate, cordate at base, 15–25 cm in diameter; lobes 5, triangular or lanceolate, sinuate-denticulate; petiole 10–12 cm long. Tendrils often trifid. Flowers monoecious, male flowers in clusters, female flowers solitary, 10–15 cm long, with 5 cuneiform-oblong petals, yellow. Fruit fusiform, cylindrical, or trigonal, 15–30 × 6–10 cm. Seeds flat, winged, 1.2 cm long, 8–10 mm wide, brown.
Traditional medicinal use
Functionality
Functional constituents
Commonly grown in backyard gardens or as hedge plants. Propagated by direct seeding, and requires a strong stake to support the growing stem.
Young shoots are blanched and served with nam phrik (dipping sauces) or in kaeng liang kung (shrimp paste and vegetable soup) or kaeng som (sweet and sour curry). The sweet-tasting young fruit appears in many dishes; it is boiled and eaten with hot sauce, added to soups, or fried with pork or shrimp. The plant contains 93 g water, 0.6–1.2 g protein, 0.2 g fat, 4–4.9 g carbohydrates, 16–20 mg calcium, 0.4–0.6 mg iron, 24–32 mg phosphorus, 45-410 IU vitamin A, 0.04–0.05 mg vitamin B1, 0.02–0.06 mg vitamin B2, 0.3–0.4 mg niacin, and 7–12 mg vitamin C per 100-g serving.
Flowers
Fruits