Luffa hermaphrodita: First Report of its Distribution and Cultivation in Adilabad, Andhra Pradesh, South India

To salvage and conserve the current spectrum of landrace diversity in different agrihorticultural crops from the district of Adilabad in Andhra Pradesh, India, 14 special agribiodiversity surveys were undertaken during 2010–12. In these surveys, a Luffa species having small, elliptical, and cluster bearing fruits was seen being cultivated in the backyards of the tribal farmers in 10 mandals of Adilabad district. Close observation of the plants and fruit samples in-situ and characterization for 24 qualitative and 13 quantitative traits, especially the nature of fl and fruiting, during fi eld evaluation at National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR) Regional Station, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad confi rmed the plant species as Luffa hermaphrodita Singh & Bhandari, popularly known as satputiya. The satputiyas traditionally occur in the Indo-Gangetic plains and the cultivation of this species in Adilabad district is the fi rst report of its distribution in South India.