Luffa aegyptiaca Mill., Cucurbitaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Threat only at high elevations?  no

Other Latin names:  Luffa cylindrica (L.) M. Roemer

Common name(s): [more details]

Chuukese: mororof

English: dish-cloth gourd, dishrag gourd, loofah, rag gourd, scrubber gourd, smooth loofah, sponge cucumber, sponge gourd, towel gourd, vegetable sponge, wild vegetable sponge

French: courge torchon, éponge végétale, gourde serviette, papengaye, pétole

Maori (Cook Islands): pō‘ue, pō‘ue, pō‘ue, puru

Samoan: meleni vao

Spanish: calabazo, esponga, esponja, estropajo, paste

Tahitian: aroro, atiuaea, huaroro, huerhaho

Tongan: fangu ‘a kuma, mafa‘i

Wallisian: mafa‘i

Habit:  vine

Description:  "Vigorous climbing herb with branched tendrils. Leaves to ca 25 cm long.  Lamina broad ovate in outline, scabrous, lobes mucronate, 5-7, the basal pair often very shallow and barely distinguishable from the mucronate marginal teeth, base forming a deep rounded sinus.  Flowers yellow, to ca 8 cm across, male racemose, female solitary.  Peduncle and furrowed ovary tomentose.  Fruit more or less oblong, 30 cm or more long when mature, shallowly furrowed, a network of fibres inside.  Seed broad ellipsoid, 13-15 mm long" (Sykes, 1970; pp. 78-79).

Habitat/ecology:  "Uncommon in coastal and lowland disturbed places" (Whistler, 1988; p. 16). In New Caledonia, "présente depuis longtemps, est peu courante aujourd'hui dans les jardins et la végétation secondaire. Une forme à petits fruits est spontanée aux îles isolées Hunter et Surprise" (MacKee, 1994; p. 46).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  Old World, now widely cultivated and naturalized in many tropical areas (Smith, 1981; p. 682).  "The common form that is cultivated and often naturalized in Pacific archipelagoes, usually indicated as var. insularum, was probably an aboriginal introduction that may have been variously modified by selection, but it scarcely seems to merit nomenclatural separation from L. cylindrica [=aegyptiaca]." (Smith, 1981; p. 682)  "Probably an aboriginal introduction to Polynesia" (Whistler, 1988; p. 16).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
American Samoa Manu‘a Islands	Ofu Island		Whistler, W. A. (1980) (p. 159)
American Samoa Manu‘a Islands	Ofu Island		Whistler, W. A. (1990) Vouchers cited: Garber 1119, Yuncker 9560
American Samoa Manu‘a Islands	Olosega Island		Whistler, W. A. (1980) (p. 159)
American Samoa Manu‘a Islands	Olosega Island		Whistler, W. A. (1990) Voucher cited: Whistler 3067
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US) Northern Mariana Islands	Rota Island	introduced	Raulerson, L. (2006) (p. 49) Var. insularum (Gray) Cogn.
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Aitutaki Atoll		McCormack, Gerald (2007)
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	‘Atiu Island		McCormack, Gerald (2007)
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Mangaia Island		McCormack, Gerald (2007)
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Ma‘uke Island		McCormack, Gerald (2007)
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Miti‘aro Island		McCormack, Gerald (2007)
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Rarotonga Island		McCormack, Gerald (2007)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) San Cristóbal Group	San Cristóbal Island	introduced cultivated	Charles Darwin Research Station (2005)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Santa Cruz Group	Santa Cruz Island	introduced cultivated	Charles Darwin Research Station (2005)
Federated States of Micronesia Chuuk Islands	Dublon (Tonowas) Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 178)
Federated States of Micronesia Chuuk Islands	Tol Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 178)
Federated States of Micronesia Chuuk Islands	Ulalu (Romonum) Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 178)
Federated States of Micronesia Chuuk Islands	Weno (Moen) Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 178)
Federated States of Micronesia Kosrae Island	Kosrae Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 178)
Federated States of Micronesia Kosrae Island	Kosrae Island	introduced invasive	Josekutty, P. C./Wakuk, E. E./Joseph, M. J. (2002) (p. 63)
Federated States of Micronesia Pohnpei Islands	Pohnpei Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 178)
Federated States of Micronesia Pohnpei Islands	Pohnpei Island		Glassman, S. F. (1952) (p. 60) Voucher cited: Glassman 2913 (US)
Federated States of Micronesia Pohnpei Islands	Pohnpei Island	introduced invasive	Lorence, David H./Flynn, Tim (1998) (p. 18)
Fiji Fiji Islands	Taveuni Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Smith, Albert C. (1981) (p. 682) Voucher cited: Seemann 193 Sparingly naturalized.
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Smith, Albert C. (1981) (p. 682) Voucher cited: DA 12394 Sparingly naturalized.
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Marquesas Islands	introduced cultivated	Welsh, S. L. (1998) (p. 94)
French Polynesia Society Islands	Raiatea (Havai) Island	introduced cultivated	Welsh, S. L. (1998) (p. 94) Vouchers cited: BRY 26107, BRY 26640
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island	introduced cultivated	Welsh, S. L. (1998) (p. 94) Voucher cited: Setchelll & Parks 219
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island	native cultivated	Stone, Benjamin C. (1970) (p. 565) Var. insularum (Gray) Cogniaux; vouchers cited: Stone 4315 (GUAM), G.E.S. 409
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 178) Var. insularum (Gray) Cogn.
Marshall Islands Ralik Chain	Kili (Kõle) Atoll	introduced cultivated	Vander Velde, Nancy/Vander Velde, Brian (2006) (p. 7) "Rare; one vine observed growing Bikini Projects garden, climbing over lime tree, somewhat smothering it".
Marshall Islands Ratak Chain	Majuro (Mãjro) Atoll	introduced cultivated	Vander Velde, Nancy (2003) (p. 89)
Nauru Nauru Island	Nauru Island	introduced invasive	Thaman, R. R./Fosberg, F. R./Manner, H. I./Hassall, D. C. (1994) (p. 124) Vouchers cited: Fosberg 58587 (US), Fosberg 58731 (US), Thaman & Manner 75 (SUVA)
New Caledonia Récifs D'Entrecasteaux (D'Entrecasteaux Reefs)	Île Surprise	introduced invasive	MacKee, H. S. (1994) (p. 46) Voucher cited: Cherrier in MacKee 43872
New Caledonia Hunter Island	Île Hunter	introduced invasive	MacKee, H. S. (1994) (p. 46) Voucher cited: Veillon 3398
New Caledonia New Caledonia Archipelago	Île Grande Terre	introduced invasive cultivated	MacKee, H. S. (1994) (p. 46) Vouchers cited: Védel s.n., Vieillard 963, Balansa 540, Balansa 3300, Däniker 1667, MacKee 26572, MacKee 34132
New Caledonia New Caledonia Archipelago	Île des Pins (Isle of Pines)	introduced	MacKee, H. S. (1994) (p. 46) Voucher cited: Pancher 693
Niue Niue	Niue Island	introduced cultivated	Sykes, W. R. (1970) (p. 78) Voucher cited: CHR 170272
Niue Niue	Niue Island	introduced invasive abo. intro.	Whistler, W. A. (1988) (p. 16)
Niue Niue	Niue Island	introduced invasive abo. intro.	Space, James C./Waterhouse, Barbara M./Newfield, Melanie/Bull, Cate (2004) (p. 50)
Palau Palau (main island group)	Palau Islands (main island group)	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 178)
Philippines Philippine Islands	Philippine Islands		Hafliger, Toni J./Wolf, Matthias (1988) (p. 237)
Samoa Western Samoa Islands	Western Samoa Islands		Whistler, W. A. (1988) (p. 16)
Solomon Islands Solomon Islands	Solomon Islands	native	Hancock, I. R./Henderson, C. P. (1988) (p. 87)
Tonga Ha‘apai Group	Ha‘apai Islands		Whistler, W. A. (1992) (p. 18) Voucher cited: Soakai 670
Tonga Tongatapu Group	Tongatapu Island		Whistler, W. A. (1992) (p. 18) Voucher cited: Moseley s.n.
Tonga Tongatapu Group	Tongatapu Island		Yuncker, T. G. (1959) (p. 260) Cited: Moseley.
Tonga Vava‘u Group	Vava‘u Island		Yuncker, T. G. (1959) (p. 260) Voucher cited: Yuncker 16165
Wallis and Futuna Wallis and Futuna (Horne) Islands	Wallis and Futuna Islands		Whistler, W. A. (1988) (p. 16)

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia Australia (continental)	Australia (continental)		Hafliger, Toni J./Wolf, Matthias (1988) (p. 237)
Honduras Honduras	Honduras (Republic of)		Holm, Leroy/Pancho, Juan V./Herberger, James P./Plucknett, Donald L. (1979) (p. 223)
Indonesia Indonesia	Indonesia (Republic of)		Hafliger, Toni J./Wolf, Matthias (1988) (p. 237)
Mexico Mexico	Mexico (United Mexican States)		Hafliger, Toni J./Wolf, Matthias (1988) (p. 237)

Indian Ocean
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia (Indian Ocean offshore islands) Christmas Island Group	Christmas Island	introduced cultivated	Swarbrick, J. T. (1997) (p. 118) Luffa sp.

Comments:  Cultivated and sparsely naturalized in Fiji (Smith, 1981; p. 682).

Additional information:  Additional online information about Luffa aegyptiaca is available from the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR).

Taxonomic information about Luffa aegyptiaca may be available from the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN).

References:

Charles Darwin Research Station. 2005. CDRS Herbarium records.

Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce. 1979. A geographical checklist of the Micronesian dicotyledonae. Micronesica 15:1-295.

Glassman, S. F. 1952. The flora of Ponape. Bishop Mus. Bull. 209: 1-152.

Hafliger, Toni J./Wolf, Matthias. 1988. Dicot weeds, vol. 1. CIBA-GEIGY Ltd., Basle, Switzerland. 335 pp.

Hancock, I. R./Henderson, C. P. 1988. Flora of the Solomon Islands. Research Bulletin No. 7. Ministry of Agriculture and Lands, Honiara. 203 pp.

Holm, Leroy/Pancho, Juan V./Herberger, James P./Plucknett, Donald L. 1979. A geographical atlas of world weeds. John Wiley & Sons, New York. 391 pp.

Josekutty, P. C./Wakuk, E. E./Joseph, M. J. 2002. Invasive/weedy angiosperms in Kosrae, Federated States of Micronesia. In: Invasive species and their management. Micronesica Suppl. 6:61-65.

Lorence, David H./Flynn, Tim. 1998. Checklist of the plants of Pohnpei. Unpublished checklist. National Tropical Botanical Garden, Lawai, Hawai‘i. 21 pp.

MacKee, H. S. 1994. Catalogue des plantes introduites et cultivées en Nouvelle-Calédonie. Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, 164 p.

McCormack, Gerald. 2007. Cook Islands biodiversity and natural heritage. On-line database.

Merlin, M./Juvik, J. 1996. Irá me neeniier nón Chuuk: Plants and their Environments in Chuuk. Program on Environment, East-West Center, Honolulu, Hawai‘i, 121 pp. .

Raulerson, L. 2006. Checklist of Plants of the Mariana Islands. University of Guam Herbarium Contribution 40:1-69. .

Smith, Albert C. 1981. Flora Vitiensis nova: a new flora of Fiji. National Tropical Botanical Garden, Lawai, Kauai, Hawaii. Volume 2. 810 pp.

Space, James C./Waterhouse, Barbara M./Newfield, Melanie/Bull, Cate. 2004. Report to the Government of Niue and the United Nations Development Programme: Invasive plant species on Niue following Cyclone Heta. UNDP NIU/98/G31 - Niue Enabling Activity. 80 pp.

Stone, Benjamin C. 1970. The flora of Guam. Micronesica 6:1-659.

Swarbrick, J. T. 1997. Environmental weeds and exotic plants on Christmas Island, Indian Ocean: a report to Parks Australia. 101 pp. plus appendix.

Sykes, W. R. 1970. Contributions to the flora of Niue. New Zealand Department of Scientific and Industrial Research Bulletin 200, Wellington. 321 pp.

Thaman, R. R./Fosberg, F. R./Manner, H. I./Hassall, D. C. 1994. The flora of Nauru. Smithsonian Institution, Washington. Atoll Research Bulletin 392:1-223.

U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. 2007. National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Online searchable database.

Vander Velde, Nancy. 2003. The vascular plants of Majuro Atoll, Republic of the Marshall Islands. Smithsonian Institution, Atoll Research Bulletin No. 503:1-141.

Vander Velde, Nancy/Vander Velde, Brian. 2006. Plants of Kili Island, Marshall Islands. Unpublished checklist. 12 pp.

Welsh, S. L. 1998. Flora Societensis: A summary revision of the flowering plants of the Society Islands. E.P.S. Inc., Orem, Utah. 420 pp.

Whistler, W. A. 1980. The vegetation of eastern Samoa. Allertonia 2:45-90.

Whistler, W. A. 1988. Checklist of the weed flora of western Polynesia. Technical Paper No. 194, South Pacific Commission, Noumea, New Caledonia. 69 pp.

Whistler, W. A. 1990. Ethnobotany of the Cook Islands: The plants, their Maori names, and their uses. Allertonia 5(4):347-424.

Whistler, W. A. 1990. The weeds of Manu‘a [unpublished checklist]. 18 pp.

Whistler, W. A. 1992. Flora of Tonga [unpublished checklist]. 107 pp.

Yuncker, T. G. 1945. Plants of the Manua Islands. Bishop Mus. Bull. 184. Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu. 73 pp.

Yuncker, T. G. 1959. Plants of Tonga. Bishop Museum Bull. 220. Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu. 343 pp.