| Luffa aegyptiaca | |
|---|---|
| Egyptian luffa fruit | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Rosids |
| Order: | Cucurbitales |
| Family: | Cucurbitaceae |
| Genus: | Luffa |
| Species: | L. aegyptiaca |
| Binomial name | |
| Luffa aegyptiaca Mill. |
|
| Synonyms | |
|
Luffa aegyptica (lapsus) |
|
Luffa aegyptiaca is a species of Luffa. Commonly known as Smooth Luffa, Egyptian Luffa and mướp hương in Vietnamese, sometimes under the obsolete name Luffa cylindrica and frequently misspelled "Luffa aegyptica", it is cultivated and grown for its fruit. The fruit resembles a cucumber. Young fruit can be eaten as a vegetable while ripe fruits can be use to make bath sponges. They may also be grown as an ornamental plant. It is native to northern Africa, but is now found in many tropical and subtropical areas of the world.
