You say loofah, I say luffa

We recently visited Tarpon Springs, Florida where we learned a lot about sponges. We learned that Loofa, also spelled Luffa, is actually a vegetable.

You can see a picture of a luffa on the vine at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luffa. The write-up says:

The luffa, loofah, or lufah (from Arabic لوف) are tropical and subtropical vines comprising the genus Luffa, the only genus of the subtribe Luffinae of the plant family Cucurbitaceae. The fruit of at least two species, Luffa acutangula and Luffa aegyptiaca (Luffa cylindrica), is grown, harvested before maturity, and eaten as a vegetable, popular in Asia and Africa.

The ripe, dried fruit is also the source of the loofah or plant sponge. Luffas are also used to make the soles of beach sandals.

Luffa species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species, including Hypercompe albicornis.

Parts of the plant are used to create bath or kitchen sponges, a natural remedy for jaundice, furniture and even houses. It is also eaten as a green vegetable.