TABLE 1 in A new taxonomic variety of Luffa aegyptiaca Mill. (Cucurbitaceae): a wild sponge gourd from Odisha, India

TABLE 1. — Comparison of diagnostic characters among Luffa aegyptiaca var. aegyptiaca, L. acutangula var. amara and L. aegyptiaca var. alba R.C.Misra, var.nov. CharactersLuffa aegyptiaca var. aegyptiacaLuffa acutangula var. amaraLuffa aegyptiaca var. alba var. nov.StemGlabrous, smoothGlabrous, angles scabrousPuberulent, scabrousLeavesOrbicular-reniform, glabrous, smooth, green beneath, 15-25 (30) × 15-25 cm; petiole 7-12 cm, glabrousOrbicular-cordate, pubescent, softly villous in young, scabrous, whitish beneath, 7-12 × 6-10 cm; petiole 2-4 cm, scabrousOrbicular-reniform, puberulent, scabrous, green beneath, 7-15 × 6-14 cm; petiole 1-5 cm, puberulentMale inflorescenceRaceme 25-40 cmRaceme 10-15 cmRaceme 12-25 cmMale flowersPedicel 1-2 cm, bracts 4-7.5 mm, 8-10 cm across; calyx tube 7.5-10 mm, calyx lobe 20-30 × 10-15 mm, apex acute, stamens 5Pedicel 1-3 cm, bracts 3-7 mm, 3-4 cm across;calyx tube 5-8 mm, calyx lobe 4-6 × 2-4 mm, apex acuminate, stamens 3Pedicel <1 cm, bracts 2-3 mm, 5-7.5 cm across; calyx tube 4-7 mm, calyx lobe 10-15 × 3-7 mm, apex acuminate, stamens 5Female flowersDeep yellow, 10-13 cm across, ovary smooth, cylindricalPale yellow, 3.5-5 cm across, ovary prominently ribbed, club shapedDeep yellow, 7-9 cm across, ovary smooth, cylindricalFruitsSmooth, ecostate, oblong-cylindric, marked with longitudinal stripes, 15-45 × 6-10 cmLongitudinally 10-angled, obovoid, obtusely conical at both ends, 5-10 × 2.5-4 cmSmooth, ecostate, oblong-cylindric, often marked with longitudinal stripes, 7-20 × 5-8 cmSeedsBlack or dark grey, not beaked, margin distinctly winged, smooth, 11-13 × 7-8 mm, average 90-500 seeds/fruitBlack, beaked, margin wingless, rugulose or verrucose, 8-10 × 5 mm, average 15-30 seeds/fruitWhite, not beaked, margin wingless, smooth, 11-12 × 7-8 mm, average 30-80 seeds/fruit