Okra

It is Asiatic in origin as the whole genus is mainly of Asiatic distribution. Abelmoschus tuberculatus Pal & Singh (Bot. Gaz.113:458. 1952), a N. Indian species differs mainly from the present species in its strigose hairs on the stem and shorter capsules (5-7.5 cm long) covered by bristly tuberculate hairs, may be one of the ancestors (Borssum Waalkes l.c.). Most probably Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench is of Indian origin.

The young fruits are an important vegetable (okra) in S Asia.

Erect, annual herb, 0.5-2.5 cm tall. Stem often tinged red, sparsely, simple, stiff hairy, somewhat rough. Leaves 5-30 cm long and broad, broadly ovate to orbicular, cordate at base, 5-7-nerved, simple and stiff hairy on both sides, glabrescent, angular or 3-7-lobed or parted; lobes ovate to lanceolate or oblong, coarsely serrate to crenate; stipules filiform, 5-10 mm long; petiole 5-35 cm long. Flowers axillary, solitary; pedicel 0.5-1.5 cm long, in fruit up to 5 cm. Epicalyx segments 7-12, 5-25 mm long, 1-2.5 mm broad, linear to lanceolate, caducous. Calyx 2-3 cm long. Corolla yellow or yellowish white with a purple spot at the base; petals 3-4.5 cm long and broad. Staminal column 2-2.5 cm long. Capsule 7-25 cm long, 1.5-3 cm across, cylindrical, 5-angled, acuminate, simple hairy, hirsute when young, glabrescent. Seeds 5-15 in each cell, 3-6 mm across, reniform or ovoid, dark brown, glabrous.

Herbs annual, 1-2 m tall, most parts with very sparse prickly hairs. Stem often hollow. Stipule filiform, 7-10 mm, sparsely hirsute; petiole 7-15(-35) cm, long hirsute, often with pubescent adaxial groove; leaf blade palmately 3-7-lobed, (5-)10-30 cm in diam., lobes broad to narrow, sparsely hirsute on both surfaces, margin sparsely dentate and emarginate. Flowers solitary, axillary. Pedicel (0.5-)1-2(-5) cm, sparsely strigose. Epicalyx lobes 7-10(-12), filiform, 5-18 × 1-2.5 mm, sparsely hirsute. Calyx campanulate, 2-3 cm, densely stellate puberulent. Corolla yellow or white with dark purple center, 5-7 cm in diam.; petals obovate, 3.5-5 × 3-4 cm. Filament tube 2-2.5 cm. Capsule cylindric to tower-shaped, 10-25 × 1.5-2(-3) cm, long beaked, sparsely strigose. Seeds dark brown or gray, globose to reniform, 5-15 per locule, (3-)4-5(-6) mm, striate, minutely warty. Fl. May-Sep.

Distribution: Cultivated as vegetable in most tropical countries. It is extensively cultivated in Pakistan.

Cultivated. Guangdong, Hainan, Hebei, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Shandong, Yunnan, Zhejiang [native to India].

Hibiscus esculentus Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 2: 696. 1753; H. longifolius Willdenow.