Luffa operculata

Operculata loofah is a plant of the genus Luffa in the gourd family ( Cucurbitaceae ). It is widespread in the Neotropics.

Description

Luffa operculata grows as climbing herbaceous plant. The several meters long stems are angular. There are tendrils available. The alternate arranged leaves are long-petiolate. The leaf blade is in outline heart-shaped to kidney-shaped and easily three - or five-lobed to smooth edges.

Luffa operculata is monoecious getrenntgeschlechtig ( monoecious ). The unisexual flowers are radial symmetry and fünfzählig double perianth. The five yellow, free petals form a bell-shaped crown. The male flowers are in axillary, racemose inflorescences over a long inflorescence stem. The female flowers and thus the fruit stand individually in the leaf axils. The male flowers have five free stamens. The female flowers contain, besides the stamp and five staminodes.

The fruit stalks are 7-20 mm long. Operating at a length of 6 to 10 cm and a diameter of 3 to 5 cm oval fruit is relatively small compared to other types of loofah. The fruits are spiny outside, inside have a pithy tissue and a fine fiber network. The almost black, smooth seeds are flattened and 7.5 to 10 mm long.

The basic chromosome number is x = 13

Use

From the indigenous people of Colombia loofah operculata was used to trigger an artificial intense colds. Since both hay fever and sinusitis in the Western world occur frequently the application of loofah operculata but also in Europe increasingly common:

A form of application is the homeopathy. So there has long been homeopathic nasal drops that are applied in numerous diseases of the nose and the paranasal sinuses. Different doses are used for hayfever and similar allergy-related diseases. Although in homeopathy usual, extremely low doses of drugs should be relatively well tolerated, but do not solve the well-kept by the Indians " healing colds " from.

Another form of application is much closer to the original: plant parts are boiled and the highly concentrated brew is instilled into the nose. This usually triggers a very intense cold, which is to clean the sinuses.

Evidence of the efficacy of this or that method of treatment are made . In a study from the American Journal of Rhinology significant structural changes in the respiratory Gaumenepithels has been demonstrated in an ex vivo model, resulting from the treatment with L. operculata. This was seen as evidence for the harmfulness of that treatment.

Dissemination

This Neotropical species is found from Panama via Colombia, Guyana, Suriname, Venezuela, Brazil and Ecuador to Peru before.

Taxonomy

This species was in 1759 under the name ( basionym ) Momordica operculata by Carl Linnaeus in Systema Naturae, Editio Decima 2, p 1278 first published. It was made under the name of loofah operculata by Célestin Alfred Cogniaux in Flora Brasiliensis, 6 ( 4), pp. 12-13, Table 1 in the genus Luffa 1878. Synonyms for loofah operculata (L.) Cogn. are: Cucumis sepium G.Mey, Elaterium quinquefidum Hook.. & Arn. , Loofah astorii Svenson, loofah operculata var intermedia Cogn. , Loofah operculata var lobata Cogn. , Loofah purgans ( Mart. ) Mart. , Loofah quinquefida ( Hook. & Arn. ) Seem. , Momordica operculata L., Momordica purgans Mart. , Momordica quinquefida ( Hook. & Arn. ) Hook. & Arn. , Poppya operculata (L.) M. Roem ..

Swell

Charles B. Heiser, Edward E. Schilling & Bithi Dutt: The American Species of Luffa ( Cucurbitaceae ), In: Systematic Botany, Volume 13, No. 1, 1988, pp. 138-145.
BUCHINHA DO NORTE - loofah operculata - Data sheet at Plantas que Curam. ( Portuguese)

Rosids Digital Object Identifier Agricultural Research Service

533705