Abelmoschus caillei

Abelmoschus caillei, the West African okra, is a plant species in the family Malvaceae. It occurs in humid area of West and Central Africa,[2] where it is used as a vegetable.[3] It originated as an allopolyploid hybrid of Abelmoschus esculentus and A. manihot, and is often mistaken for either of those two plants.[1] The same hybrid was produced experimentally in Japan where it is known as Abelmoschus glutino-textile.

Abelmoschus caillei
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Malvales
Family: Malvaceae
Genus: Abelmoschus
Species:
A. caillei
Binomial name
Abelmoschus caillei
(A.Chev.) Stevels
Synonyms[1]
  • Abelmoschus caillei Stevels
  • Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench
  • Abelmoschus manihot (L.) Medik
  • Hibiscus esculentus L.
  • Hibiscus manihot var. caillei A.Chev.

Description

Abelmoschus caillei occurs as an erect and stout herb that is often woody at the base. Its flowers are axillary, with their petals yellow to pink.[1]

Uses

It is consumed as a vegetable in a few ways, with young leaves consumed as spinach, young fruits consumed after being cooked or fried. Its edibility combined with its resistance to yellow vein mosaic virus allows the plant to be commonly cultivated in subsistence farming in high rainfall areas of West Africa.[4] Its leaves also make good cattle feed.[1]

References
  1. Umberto Quattrocchi (2016). CRC World Dictionary of Medicinal and Poisonous Plants: Common Names, Scientific Names, Eponyms, Synonyms, and Etymology (reprint ed.). CRC Press. p. 1. ISBN 9781482250640.
  2. G. J. H. Grubben, ed. (2004). Vegetables. Plant resources of tropical Africa. 2. PROTA. p. 26. ISBN 9789057821479.
  3. Grubben, G.J.H. & Denton, O.A. (2004) Plant Resources of Tropical Africa 2. Vegetables. PROTA Foundation, Wageningen; Backhuys, Leiden; CTA, Wageningen.
  4. K. V. Peter (2007). Underutilized and Underexploited Horticultural Crops. 2. New India Publishing. p. 216. ISBN 9788189422691.


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