The difference between the octagonal towel gourd and the common towel gourd is: different appearance and different planting range.

1. Different shapes:

1. Illicium verum fruit has longitudinal edges and coarse serrations, while Luffa fruit is cylindrical, with wavy shallow teeth at the edge of leaves, and both sides are smooth and hairless.

2. Luffa is dark green, rough and warty on the top, light green, pubescent on the bottom, palmately veined and white with pubescence.

Second, the planting range is different:

1. Eight-ribbed melon: it is widely cultivated in southern China, but rare in northern provinces.

2. Luffa: It is widely cultivated in the south and north of China, and also in temperate and tropical regions of the world. There is wild in southern Yunnan, but the fruit is short and small.