Abelmoschus
From Freepedia
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| Image:Abelmoschus esculentus.jpg Abelmoschus esculentus leaves, flower buds and young fruit | ||||||||||||
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Abelmoschus is a genus of about 15 species of flowering plants in the mallow family Malvaceae, native to tropical Africa. It was formerly included within Hibiscus, but is now classified as a distinct genus.
The genus is native to the tropical regions of Africa and Asia, and comprises annual and perennial herbaceous plants, growing to 2 m tall. The leaves are 10-40 cm long and broad, palmately lobed with 3-7 lobes, the lobes very variable in depth, from barely lobed, to cut almost to the base of the leaf. The flowers are 4-8 cm diameter, with five white to yellow petals, often with a red or purple spot at the base of each petal. The fruit is a capsule, 5-20 cm long, containing numerous seeds.
- Species
- Abelmoschus esculentus - Okra
- Abelmoschus manihot - Aibika
- Abelmoschus moschatus - Musk Mallow
Uses
Several species are edible, with both the young seed pods and the young leaves being eaten as a vegetable. The most important species commercially is Okra.
