tropical or subtropical vine, raised for its strikingly long fruit, used as a vegetable, medicine,
Formerly, the cultivated form was considered a distinct species, but it is now regarded as avariety of the wild ancestor, as they freely interbreed:
The narrow, soft-skinned fruit can reach 150 cm (59 in) long. Its soft, bland, somewhat mucilaginous flesh is similar to that of the luffa and the calabash. It is most popular in the cuisine of South Asia and Southeast Asia. The shoots, tendrils, and leaves are also eaten asgreens
