Japanese name: ヘチマ（糸瓜） Scientific name:Luffa aegyptica
[Overview]
A vining annual with tendrils.
The leaves are simple and alternate, palmately cut.
The cuts in the leaves become deeper when nitrogen is low.
There are male and female flowers, both borne in the leaf axils.
The male flowers gather in racemes of 15–20 on flower stalks 15–20 cm long, and open starting from the lowest ones.
The female flowers are solitary.
The flowers are yellow with 5 petals, but the petals are fused to one another.
The fruit is cylindrical, and its shape and length differ by cultivar; some reach 2 m in length.
[Uses]
Hechima scrubbers are made by soaking ripe fruits in water to rot them, then taking out only the fibers and drying them.
The liquid collected in a container from cut vines is called "hechima water" and has long been used as a lotion, and also as a cough suppressant and diuretic.
Edible oil can be obtained from the seeds.
Young fruits are edible, and in Okinawa and elsewhere, varieties that can be used as a summer vegetable are grown.
[Cultivation]
Propagate from seed.
It prefers sunny, well-drained, fertile soil.
It is resistant to pests and diseases, and is vigorous and easy to grow.
