Native Towel-gourd
Luffa cylindrica
Description 5
Prostrate creeper or scandent climber, bearing tendrils. Leaves broadly ovate in outline, palmately 5-7-lobed with deeply and irregularly serrate margins. Flowers large, deep yellow, unisexual on the same plant. Fruit smooth, ellipsoid to cylindric, up to 25 cm long, dry when mature and opening by a small apical lid.
Diagnostic 6
"Climbing herbs, tendrils 3-fid. Leaves 5-(7)-lobed, 6-12 x 6-11 cm, orbicular or broadly ovate in outline, base cordate, margin shallowly dentate, apex acuminate, upper surface glandular-punctate, lower surface scabrid; petiole to 4.5 cm long. Flowers monoecious, male and female on same axil. Male flowers in recemes, clustered; peduncle to 9 cm; pedicel to 8 mm; calyx tube broadly companulate, lobes 5, 2-3 x 1-1.5 cm, lanceolate- acuminate; petals 5, yellow; stamens 5, free, inserted near mouth of calyx tube, anthers one 1-celled, others 2-celled. Female flowers solitary, co-axillary with male flower; ovary oblong, 1-locular; ovules many. Fruits 10-22 x 6-8 cm, cylindric, fibrous within. Seeds many, c. 10 x 8 mm, ovoid, compressed, black."
Sources and Credits
- (c) 106611639464075912591, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), uploaded by 106611639464075912591, https://picasaweb.google.com/106611639464075912591/YishunSembawangParks#5979738137897819586
- (c) 106611639464075912591, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), uploaded by 106611639464075912591, https://picasaweb.google.com/106611639464075912591/YishunSembawangParks#5979738162987882130
- (c) 106611639464075912591, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), uploaded by 106611639464075912591, https://picasaweb.google.com/106611639464075912591/HortPark#5921521433761093010
- (c) monica_montelongo, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
- (c) Mark Hyde, Bart Wursten and Petra Ballings, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/30289519
- (c) India Biodiversity Portal, some rights reserved (CC BY), http://eol.org/data_objects/26340930
