Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
July,  1888. 
The  Genus  Luffa. 
333 
or  lid,  which  is  formed  by  a  kind  of  disc  upon  which  the  floral  organs 
were  situated. 
The  plant  is  known  as  Luffa  segyptiaca,  Miller,  and  formerly  as 
Momordica  Luffa,  Linne.  It  grows  to  the  length  of  20  or  30  feet, 
and  has  an  angular  tough  stem  which  climbs  by  means  of  long  and 
strong  spirally  twisted  tendrils.  The  alternate  leaves  are  roundish  in 
outline,  with  a  heart-shaped  base,  and  with  the  margin  divided  into 
five  lobes.  The  flowers  are  rather  large,  the  corolla  of  a  yellow 
color;  the  staminate  flowers  in  racemes;  the  pistillate  flowers  solitary, 
with  an  elongated  ovary  and  a  three-lobed  stigma.  The  fruit  attains 
a  length  of  from  10  to  20  inches,  is  two  or  three  inches  thick,  elliptic 
in  shape,  but  thinner  towards  the  base ;  of  a  green  color,  externally 
marked  by  ten  blackish  longitudinal  lines  and  opens  at  the  apex  by  a 
flattish  conical  lid.  The  numerous  seeds  are  oval,  or  oval-oblong, 
nearly  half  an  inch  in  length  and  one-quarter  inch  broad;  flat, 
slightly  margined  at  both  ends  and  of  a  dull  blackish  color.  The 
testa  is  finely  reticulate,  and  near  the  hilum  on  each  side  marked  with 
two  short  ridges  forming  an  obtuse  angle.  The  embryo  is  of  a 
greenish- white  color  and  has  an  oily  taste. 
The  part  used  is  the  net-work  of  fibres  in  the  interior  of  the  fruit. 
Strong  fibrous  bundles  are  found  in  the  pericarp  under  each  of  the 
longitudinal  black  lines;  similar  bundles  are  also  contained  in  the 
(normally)  three  placentas,  which  project  from  the  pericarp  toward  the 
centre  of  the  fruit,  are  there  divided  each  into  two  branches  and 
curve  back  again  to  near  the  pericarp.  These  longitudinal  fibres,  with 
their  anastomosing  branches  following  the  same  direction,  are  located 
in  the  inner  layer  of  the  net- work,  while  other  branches  running 
transversely  form  a  similar  outer  layer,  and  in  the  placentas  are 
arranged  in  strata,  between  which  the  numerous  seeds  are  securely 
imbedded.  To  obtain  this  interwoven  fibrous  tissue,  the  ripe  fruit  is 
either  kept  in  a  warm  and  damp  place  for  several  weeks  until  the 
softer  parenchyma  becomes  rotten,  when  it  is  removed  together  with 
its  mucilaginous  contents  by  repeated  washing  with  water ;  or,  without 
allowing  the  fruit  to  undergo  this  softening  process,  an  incision  is 
made  longitudinally  through  the  outer  layer  of  the  ripe  pericarp,  and 
the  soft  tissue  with  contents  is  removed  by  soaking  in  water,  pressing 
with  the  hands  and  repeated  washing,  during  which  manipulation  the 
seeds  are  likewise  discharged  through  the  longitudinal  channels 
between  the  fibrous  web. 
