''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 Medicinal plants, also called medicinal herbs, have been discovered and used in traditional medicine practices since prehistoric times. Plants synthesize hundreds of chemical compounds for various functions, including Plant defense against her ...

in the 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 Asia and Australia.

Characteristics

The seeds have a sweet, flowery, heavy fragrance similar to that of

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 ...

(hence its

specific epithet In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...

, scientific Latin for ‘musk’). Despite its tropical origin, the plant is frost- hardy.

Uses of the plant

Musk mallow seed oil was once frequently used as a substitute in perfumes for animal

; however this use is now mostly replaced by various

synthetic musk Synthetic musks are a class of synthetic aroma compounds to emulate the scent of deer musk and other animal musks (castoreum and civet). Synthetic musks have a clean, smooth and sweet scent lacking the fecal notes of animal musks. They are used as ...

s due to its high cost. In her 1705 book the ''Metamorphosis Insectorum Surinamensium'',

Maria Sibylla Merian Maria Sibylla Merian (2 April 164713 January 1717) was a German naturalist and scientific illustrator. She was one of the earliest European naturalists to observe insects directly. Merian was a descendant of the Frankfurt branch of the Swiss Mer ...

described how the young indigenous women would string the seeds on threads and wear the seeds as decoration on their arms. She also indicated that the Indigenous people used the seeds to fatten up their chickens.

Culinary uses

It has many culinary uses. The seeds are added to coffee; unripe pods ("musk okra"), leaves and new shoots are eaten as vegetables.

Medicinal uses

Different parts of the plant have uses in

Ayurveda Ayurveda () is an alternative medicine system with historical roots in the Indian subcontinent. The theory and practice of Ayurveda is pseudoscientific. Ayurveda is heavily practiced in India and Nepal, where around 80% of the population repo ...

herbal medicine, including as an antispasmodic and to treat

gonorrhea Gonorrhea, colloquially known as the clap, is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) caused by the bacterium '' Neisseria gonorrhoeae''. Infection may involve the genitals, mouth, or rectum. Infected men may experience pain or burning with ...

. However, use may result in

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 t ...

and it has not been proven safe for use during pregnancy and lactation.

Other uses

In industry the root

mucilage Mucilage is a thick, gluey substance produced by nearly all plants and some microorganisms. These microorganisms include protists which use it for their locomotion. The direction of their movement is always opposite to that of the secretion of m ...

provides

sizing Sizing or size is a substance that is applied to, or incorporated into, other materials—especially papers and textiles—to act as a protective filler or glaze. Sizing is used in papermaking and textile manufacturing to change the absorption ...

for paper;

tobacco Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus '' Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the ...

is sometimes flavoured with the flowers.

References

External links

''Abelmoschus moschatus''''Abelmoschus moschatus''Abelmoschus moschatus
Medicinal Plant Images Database (School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University)
Celtnet Spice Guide entry for Musk Mallow seeds, including recipes
{{Taxonbar, from=Q2086536 moschatus Flora of China Flora of Taiwan Flora of tropical Asia Flora of Australia Plants used in Ayurveda