Luffa cylindrica; rag gourd

Japanese: ヘチマ(糸瓜) - ヘチマ（英語表記）Luffa cylindrica; rag gourd

An annual creeping plant of the Cucurbitaceae family. Native to tropical Asia, it was introduced to China during the Song Dynasty and was introduced to Japan at the beginning of the Edo period. The stems are ridged and somewhat angular, the leaves are alternate and palmately divided into 3 to 7 lobes, and the tendrils branch at the tips. It produces whitish yellow flowers in August and September. It is monoecious, with male flowers racemose and female flowers solitary and stalked. The fruits are green and cylindrical, reaching 30 to 60 cm in length, and when ripe, the flesh develops fibrously. "Luffa water" obtained from the cut end of the vine is used as a cough suppressant, diuretic, and lotion, and the fiber remaining after the flesh is allowed to rot and removed can be used to clean utensils and footwear, and the young fruits are edible.

Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia About Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia Information

Japanese:

ウリ科のつる性一年草。熱帯アジア原産で，宋の頃中国に伝わり，日本には江戸時代の初めに渡来した。茎には稜があってやや角張り，葉は互生して掌状に3～7裂し，巻きひげは先端で分枝する。8～9月頃に，白みを帯びた黄色花をつける。雌雄同株で雄花は総状，雌花は有柄で単生する。果実は緑色，円筒形で長さ 30～60cmとなり，熟すると果肉の繊維が発達する。つるの切り口から得る「ヘチマ水」は咳止め，利尿，化粧水として利用され，果肉を腐らせて除去したあとの繊維は器物の洗浄，履物などに，また若い果実は食用となる。

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