252 Cucurbitacece. \Luffa. 



young parts more so; 1. large, 4-8 in., orbicular in outline, 

 often broader than long, very cordate at base, usually more or 

 less 7-lobed, lobes acute, distantly denticulate, finely scabrous 

 on both sides, petiole 1-3 in., angular, slightly scabrous; male 

 fl. numerous in racemes 4-8 in. long, ij in. wide, ped. \-\ in., 

 pubescent, with a small fleshy bract near the base bearing 3 

 or 4 large immersed glands, buds pointed, fern. fi. larger, 

 over 2 in., solitary, on peduncle 3-6 in. long; cal.-segm. lan- 

 ceolate, acute; pet. obovate-oblong ; male fl. : — stam. 5, dis- 

 tinct ; fem. fl. : — cal.-tube produced a little beyond ov., ov. 

 oblong, cylindrical, glabrous or pubescent; fruit very large, 

 6-12 in. or more, cylindrical or somewhat trigonous, not 

 ribbed, blunt at end; seed nearly \ in., oval, much compressed, 

 narrowly winged, rough on sides, grey. 



Low country to 3000 ft. ; common in native gardens, but scarcely a 

 wild plant. Fl. July ; yellow. 



Throughout the Tropics, cultivated. 



The young fruits are eaten as a vegetable. 



2. Xi. acutang-ula, Roxb. Hort. Beng. 70 (18 13). Weta-kolu, 

 Dara-weta-koSu, S. Peypichukku, T, 



Herm. Hort. Lugd.-Bat. Cat. 482. Fl. Zeyl. n. 352 (part). Momordica 

 Luffa, L. Sp. PI. 1009 (part) ; Moon Cat. 66. Thw- Enum. 126. C. P. 1624. 

 Fl. B. Ind. ii. 615. Duthie, Crops, t. 62. 



Very close to L. czgyptiaca, from which it differs in its 

 much more slender stems with sharper angles, rather smaller 

 fl., 3 stams., strongly ridged ov., and in the fruit, which is 

 6-12 in., clavate-oblong, tapering to base, very obtuse, smooth, 

 longitudinally ribbed or almost winged with 10 sharp angles 

 ©r ridges, and with the seeds over \ in., not winged, oblong- 

 ovoid, much compressed, slightly corrugated on sides, black. 



Var. /3, amara, Roxb. (sp.). Thw. Enum. 417. C. P. 1623. 



Seeds smaller, § in., more corrugated, black or white. 



Largely cultivated in native gardens in the low country, but nowhere 

 wild; var. (3 in the dry region, possibly a native. Fl. yellow; July. 



Throughout the Tropics, but introduced in the New World. 



The fruit is much used when half ripe and still succulent for curries 

 and as a vegetable, and is preferred here to L. cegyptiaca, but that of 

 var. /3 is too bitter for use. 



Hermann's figure (there is no specimen), called Momordica cylindrica 

 by Linn., represents this species, not L. cegyptiaca. 



Bettincasa cerifera, Savi, the 'Ash-Pumpkin' (Alu-puhul, S., Puchini, 

 T.), is much cultivated by the natives for the fruit, used as a vegetable; 

 is also candied as a sweetmeat. It is grown throughout the Eastern 

 Tropics, and in China and Japan. Figured in Duthie, Crops, t. 45. 



