A large climber with a stout, 5-angled, pubescent stem; tendrils usually 2 to 3 branched. Leaves large, 10 to 20 cm long and 9 to 21 cm wide, orbicular to reniform-orbicular in outline, base cordate, 5 to 7 lobed, lobes broadly trinagular, acute, margins irregularly, shallowly dentate, hispid-scabrid above, finely pubescent-hispid beneath; petioles 2 to 8 cm long. Male and female flowers deep, bright yellow; male flowers borne in racemes on peduncles 6 to 17 cm long, usually aggregated near apex, stamens usually 5; female flowers solitary on peduncle 7 to 15 cm long. Fruit smooth, cylindrical, usually 15 to 30 cm long (occasionally up to 2.5 m) and 6 to 10 cm in diameter, smooth with 10 dark green longitudinal lines, fibrous within; seeds 1.2 cm long and 0.8 cm wide including the narrow, smooth, marginal wing, broadly ellipsoid, longitudinally compressed, rough on surface, blackish.

Fungitoxic, bitter, emetic, cathartic and anticancer (seed); diuretic and lactagogue (fruit).

Luffa

Arginine, glutamic acid, proline, histidine, serine, tyrosine and other amino acids (seed); citrulline (plant).

Skin disorders (seed oil), it is used to treat biliousness, spleen diseases, leprosy, piles, fever, haematuria, syphilis and bronchitis.

Chandel et al., Biodiversity in Medicinal and Aromatic Plants in India.