Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
ChaPtEr
3
Pharmacognostical Profile of
Selected Medicinal Plants
ABELMOSCHUS ESCULENTUS
— OKra
Botanical Name —
Abelmoschus esculentus
( L.) Moench
Synonyms —
Hibiscus esculentus
L.;
Abelmoschus bammia
Webb;
Abelmoschus officinalis;
Abelmoschus longifolius
(Willd.) Kostel.;
Abelmoschuspraecox
Sickenb;
Abelmoschus tuberculatus
Related Species —
Abelmoschus manihot
(L.) Medik
Synonyms —
A. caillei
(A.Chev.) Stevels;
A. pseudomanihot
DC. Endl;
A. platidactylus
( Ba k h.)
Nakai and
Hibiscus manihot
;
Hibiscus papyriferus
Salisb
Family —
Malvaceae
Common Names —
Common okra, Okro, Okra, lady's finger, ladies' finger, gumbo
African Names —
Akan (Twi): nkruman, nkruma (okra); Bantu: ki ngombo, ngumbo, gombo;
Congo, Angola: quillobo, ki ngombo; Swahili: gumbo; Igbo: okwuru.
Description —
Okra is a stout annual herb typically reaching 2 m in height, but some African
varieties may grow up to 5 m tall, with a base stem 10 cm in diameter. The heart-shaped, lobed leaves
are attached to the thick, woody stem. They may reach 30 cm in length and are generally hairy.
Flowers are borne singly in the leaf axils and are usually yellow with a dark red or purple base. Some
of the African varieties bloom only in late fall in temperate zones and are photoperiod sensitive. It is
largely self-pollinated, although some outcrossing is reported, and it is often visited by bees.
The pod (capsule or fruit) is 10-25 cm long (shorter in the dwarf varieties). Generally, it is ribbed
or round and varies in color from yellow to red to green. It is pointed at the apex, hairy at the base,
and tapered toward the tip. It contains numerous oval seeds that are about the size of peppercorns,
white when immature and dark green to gray-black when mature.
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Habitat and Distribution —
The genus
Abelmoschus
is is believed to have originated in South-
East Asia. The common okra,
Abelmoschus esculentus
, however, is a cultigen of uncertain origin.
