''Abelmoschus'' is a genus of about fifteen species of

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...

s in the mallow family (

Malvaceae Malvaceae, or the mallows, is a family of flowering plants estimated to contain 244 genera with 4225 known species. Well-known members of economic importance include okra, cotton, cacao and durian. There are also some genera containing familiar ...

), native to tropical

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an are ...

and northern Australia. It was formerly included within ''

Hibiscus ''Hibiscus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae. The genus is quite large, comprising several hundred species that are native to warm temperate, subtropical and tropical regions throughout the world. Member species ...

'', but is now classified as a distinct genus. The genus name derives from Arabic meaning 'father of musk' or 'source of musk' referring to the scented seeds. The genus comprises

annual Annual may refer to: *Annual publication, periodical publications appearing regularly once per year ** Yearbook ** Literary annual *Annual plant *Annual report *Annual giving *Annual, Morocco, a settlement in northeastern Morocco *Annuals (band), ...

and

perennial A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wid ...

herbaceous plants, growing to 2 m tall. The leaves are 10–40 cm long and broad, palmately lobed with 3-7 lobes, the lobes are very variable in depth, from barely lobed, to cut almost to the base of the leaf. The

flower A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechani ...

s 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 In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particu ...

is a capsule, 5–20 cm long, containing numerous

seed A seed is an embryonic plant enclosed in a protective outer covering, along with a food reserve. The formation of the seed is a part of the process of reproduction in seed plants, the spermatophytes, including the gymnosperm and angiospe ...

s. ''Abelmoschus'' species are used as food plants by the

larva A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle. ...

e of some Lepidoptera species including '' Chionodes hibiscella'' which has been recorded on ''A. moschatus''.

Species

'' Plants of the World Online'' currently includes:Plants of the World Online: ''Abelmoschus'' Medik. (retrieved 8 August 2021)
/ref> # '' Abelmoschus angulosus'' Wall. ex Wight & Arn. # '' Abelmoschus caillei'' (A.Chev.) Stevels – (syn. ''Hibiscus manihot'' var. ''caillei''). West African okra # '' Abelmoschus crinitus'' Wall. – (syb. ''Hibiscus crinitus'') # '' Abelmoschus enbeepeegearensis'' K.J.John, Scariah, Nissar, K.V.Bhat & S.R.Yadav # '' Abelmoschus esculentus'' (L.) Moench – (syn. ''Hibiscus esculentus'').

Okra Okra or Okro (, ), ''Abelmoschus esculentus'', known in many English-speaking countries as ladies' fingers or ochro, is a flowering plant in the mallow family. It has edible green seed pods. The geographical origin of okra is disputed, with su ...

# '' Abelmoschus ficulneus'' (L.) Wight & Arn. – (syn. ''Hibiscus ficulneus''). White wild musk mallow # '' Abelmoschus hostilis'' (Wall. ex Mast.) M.S.Khan & M.S.Hussain # ''

Abelmoschus manihot ''Abelmoschus manihot'', the aibika, is a flowering plant in the family Malvaceae. It was formerly considered a species of '' Hibiscus'', but is now classified in the genus ''Abelmoschus''. The plant is also known as the sunset muskmallow, suns ...

'' (L.) Medik. – (syn. ''Hibiscus manihot''). Aibika # ''

Abelmoschus moschatus ''Abelmoschus moschatus'' (Abelmosk, ambrette, annual hibiscus, Bamia Moschata, Galu Gasturi, muskdana, musk mallow, musk okra, ornamental okra, rose mallow, tropical jewel hibiscus, Yorka okra) is an aromatic and medicinal plant in the family Ma ...

'' Medik. – (syn. ''Hibiscus abelmoschus''). Abelmosk # '' Abelmoschus muliensis'' K.M.Feng # '' Abelmoschus palianus'' Sutar, K.V.Bhat & S.R.Yadav # '' Abelmoschus sagittifolius'' (Kurz) Merr.

Uses

Several species are edible, with both the young seed pods and the young leaves being eaten as a

vegetable Vegetables are parts of plants that are consumed by humans or other animals as food. The original meaning is still commonly used and is applied to plants collectively to refer to all edible plant matter, including the flowers, fruits, stems, ...

. The most important commercially-grown species is

okra Okra or Okro (, ), ''Abelmoschus esculentus'', known in many English-speaking countries as ladies' fingers or ochro, is a flowering plant in the mallow family. It has edible green seed pods. The geographical origin of okra is disputed, with su ...

. ''Abelmoschus manihot'' (aibika) furnishes cordage like jute, and ''Abelmoschus moschatus'' (abelmosk) is grown for musk seeds (musk ambrette, a

musk Musk ( Persian: مشک, ''Mushk'') is a class of aromatic substances commonly used as base notes in perfumery. They include glandular secretions from animals such as the musk deer, numerous plants emitting similar fragrances, and artificial sub ...

substitute, which can cause

phytophotodermatitis Phytophotodermatitis, also known as berloque dermatitis or margarita photodermatitis, is a cutaneous phototoxic inflammatory reaction resulting from contact with a light-sensitizing botanical agent followed by exposure to ultraviolet light (from ...

Gallery of different species

Abelmoschus sagittifolius at Kudayathoor.jpg, '' Abelmoschus sagittifolius'' in

Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

Abelmoschus manihot ssp tetraphyllus W IMG 2169.jpg, ''

'' ssp. ''tetraphyllus'' in

Goa Goa () is a state on the southwestern coast of India within the Konkan region, geographically separated from the Deccan highlands by the Western Ghats. It is located between the Indian states of Maharashtra to the north and Karnataka to the ...

. Abelmoschus manihot ssp tetraphyllus W IMG 2166.jpg, ''

'' ssp. ''tetraphyllus'' in

. Abelmoschus manihot ssp tetraphyllus W IMG 2157.jpg, ''

'' ssp. ''tetraphyllus'' in

. Abelmoschus manihot ssp tetraphyllus W2 IMG 2157.jpg, ''

'' ssp. ''tetraphyllus'' in

. Abelmoschus ficulneus (Jungli Bhendi) leaves in Kawal, AP W IMG 2221.jpg, '' Abelmoschus ficulneus'' leaves in

Kawal Wildlife Sanctuary Kawal Tiger Reserve is a nature preserve located at Jannaram mandal of Mancherial District (Old Adilabad district) in the Telangana state of India. The government of India declared Kawal Wildlife Sanctuary to be a Tiger Reserve in 2012. The rese ...

. Abelmoschus ficulneus (Jungli Bhendi) leaves in Kawal, AP W IMG 2216.jpg, '' Abelmoschus ficulneus'' leaves in

. Abelmoschus ficulneus (Jungli Bhendi) in Kawal, AP W IMG 2214.jpg, '' Abelmoschus ficulneus'' flower in

. Abelmoschus ficulneus (Jungli Bhendi) fruit in Kawal, AP W IMG 2218.jpg, '' Abelmoschus ficulneus'' fruit in

References

* Kundu BC, Biswas C. 1973. Anatomical characters for distinguishing the genera ''Abelmoschus'' and ''Hibiscus''. ''Proc. Indian Sci. Congr.'' 60. (3): 295 {{Taxonbar, from=Q866047 Malvaceae genera Paleotropical flora