Luffa acutangula aka Chinese Okra

Luffa acutangula, also known as angled luffa, Chinese okra, dish cloth gourd, ridged gourd, sponge gourd, vegetable gourd, strainer vine, ribbed loofah, silky gourd, silk gourd, and sinkwa towelsponge, is a cucurbitaceous vine that is commercially grown for its unripe fruits as a vegetable. It is native to central and eastern Asia, and its cultivation extends to southeastern Asia. This tender, tendril-climbing vine has rough-textured, maple-shaped leaves that can reach up to 25cm across. During the summer to autumn season, it produces bright yellow, male flowers in short clusters, and individual female flowers that are 5cm across. The vine also develops dark green, cylindrical, ridged fruits that can grow up to 30cm long from mid-summer onwards. While unripe fruits can be consumed as a vegetable, mature fruits are commonly used as natural cleaning sponges. When the skin is picked off and the seeds removed, the fibrous body of the mature fruit can be utilized as an abrasive sponge. In colder climates, Luffa acutangula is also grown as a houseplant.