Corchorus fascicularis Lam.

Widespread in hotter parts of India but not common in Pakistan.

The fibre extracted from this plant is used in Sind for making ropes. The plant on grinding forms a mucilaginous jelly like substance which is used in seminal and general weakness as a tonic and is valued as an astringent and restorative.

Annual, suberect, 50-60 cm tall herb. Stem woody, with scaly bark, glabrous. Leaves 3-costate, elliptic-oblong or lanceolate to narrowly ovate, 1.5-6 cm long, 0.5-2.0 cm broad, glabrous, serrate, basal serratures not prolonged into filiform appendages, obtuse; petiole 3-15 mm long, hirsute; stipules subulate-filiform, c. 5 mm long. Cyme a fascicle of 2-5 (-8) flowers, antiphyllous, very shortly pedunculate. Flowers yellow, 5-6 mm across; bracts minute. Sepals linear-oblong, c. 1.5-2.5 mm long, apiculate. Petals oblong-obovate, as long as sepals. Stamens as many as or twice the number of petals, filaments c. 1.5-2 mm long. Carpels 3; ovary oblong-ovate to linear, 3-loculed, hairy; style short, stigma capitate. Capsules 2-5(-8) in each fascicle, sessile, 1-1.5 cm long, with 1-2 mm long entire beak, somewhat triangular, pubescent, 3-loculed, locules without transverse septa. Seeds wedge shaped, c. 1.5 mm long, angular, black, obliquely truncate at both ends.

Distribution: Pakistan, India (Rajputana, Utter Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Behar, Peninsula), Sri Lanka (Ceylon), Burma, North Australia, Arabia and tropical Africa.

Fl. Per.: August-September.

Widespread in tropical Africa. Also in India and Australia.