Abelmoschus manihot Aibika PFAF Plant Database

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Abelmoschus manihot - (L.)Medik.

Common Name

Aibika

Family

Malvaceae

Synonyms

Hibiscus manihot.

Known Hazards

None known

Habitats

Wasteland and humid rocky hillsides[260]. In Nepal it grows at elevations of 700 - 1700 metres in rocky places with shrubs[272]. Grasslands, near streams and margins of farm land[266].

Range

E. Asia - South-eastern Asia to Northern Australia.

Edibility Rating

Medicinal Rating

Care

Summary

Physical Characteristics

Abelmoschus manihot is a PERENNIAL growing to 2 m (6ft 7in) at a fast rate.
It is hardy to zone 9 and is frost tender. It is in flower from Jul to September, and the seeds ripen from Aug to October. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects.

Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil.


http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benutzer:Michael_w

Habitats
Cultivated Beds;

Edible Uses
Edible Parts: Flowers; Leaves. Edible Uses: Young leaves - raw or cooked[183, 200]. Sweet and mucilaginous[183]. Flower buds - raw or cooked[183].

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.

Emmenagogue; Odontalgic; Vulnerary.

The bark is said to be emmenagogue[240]. A paste of the bark is used to treat wounds and cuts, with new paste being applied every 2 - 3 days for about 3 weeks[272]. In Nepal the root juice is warmed and applied to sprains[272]. The juice of the flowers is used to treat chronic bronchitis and toothache[272].

Other Uses
None known

Cultivation details

Easily grown in any well-drained soil in a sunny position[200]. Plants will tolerate occasional short-lived lows down to about -5°c so long as they are in a very well-drained soil[260]. A perennial plant, it is generally tender in the temperate zone but can be grown outdoors as an annual, flowering well in its first year and setting seed[200, K]. Plants will occasionally overwinter in a cold greenhouse[K]. It grows well in an ornamental vegetable garden[200].

Propagation
Seed - sow March in a warm greenhouse. The seed should germinate with two weeks, when it is large enough to handle prick it out into individual pots and plant out after the last expected frosts. The seed can also be sown in situ in late April in areas with warm summers.

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Expert comment

Author
(L.)Medik.

Botanical References
200266

Links / References

[K] Ken Fern Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

[183]Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants.

Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.

[200]Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.

Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[240]Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement).

Very terse details of medicinal uses of plants with a wide range of references and details of research into the plants chemistry. Not for the casual reader.

[260]Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Conservatory and Indoor Plants Volumes 1 & 2

Excellent photos of over 1,100 species and cultivars with habits and cultivation details plus a few plant uses. Many species are too tender for outdoors in Britain though there are many that can be grown outside.

[266] Flora of China

On-line version of the Flora - an excellent resource giving basic info on habitat and some uses.

[272]Manandhar. N. P. Plants and People of Nepal

Excellent book, covering over 1,500 species of useful plants from Nepal together with information on the geography and peoples of Nepal. Good descriptions of the plants with terse notes on their uses.

Readers comment

Elizabeth H.
Doreen Nault	Thu Aug 17 2006

Hibiscus manihot is known as Tororoaoi in Japan and is a pivotal substance in the making of Japanese paper (washi). The roots are harvested and pounded to release a mucilaginous substance that is mixed into the vat of water with pounded fibers (of various plants, but a species of long fibered mulberry, "kozo", is most common). The addition of the tororoaoi substance changes the viscosity of the water and is what facilitates the separation of each fiber, making it possible in the unique Japanese papermaking process, for the fibers to overlap and intertwine, resulting in the phenomenally strong and beautiful Japanese paper known as washi. PS Your database is incredible. I refer to it often. THANK YOU!!

Elizabeth H.
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Samoa	Sun Dec 31 2006

"Lau pele" is the Samoan name for Abelmoschus and I ate a ton of it when I lived there. Although some claim it should be cooked, I found it wonderful as a salad leaf. To grow more leaves, we simply cut off branches and stuck them back in the soil. We always ate it before they could grow flowers. I was researching its English and scientific names so that I can get some and grow it in Florida. Thank you for your wonderful database.

Elizabeth H.
Dan Culbertson	Sat Jul 21 2007

I have what was called Abelmoschus manihot or "edible leaved hibiscus" when it was given to me. Near as I can tell it might be A. manihot except some descriptions of it say the leaf is hairy and mine is definitely smooth, almost succulent. I also have never seen it flower and produce pods - I reproduce it by sticking branches in the ground. Here in north Florida it comes back ever spring from the roots. The leaves are very good in salads. I wonder if this is a subspecies since I have never seen it bloom?

Elizabeth H.
Rebecca Vave	Fri Feb 1 2008

It was a favorite "cabbage" in the Solomon Islands; just wish we could get it here in Minnesota. Often called "slippery cabbage", in Fiji it is called "bele". In the Sol. Is. some names are "reko" [Sa'a], "neka" [Roviana] and, one variety with a large wrinkled leaf (a favorite), is called "frog cabbage" by expats.

Elizabeth H.
	Fri Mar 7 2008

I've heard this plant is used in making Gampi paper, in Japan!

Elizabeth H.
Adrian Fox	Sun Jul 13 2008

I've been growing it for several years as an annual in central France. It looks so like okra I've wondered if you can eat the immature pods like okra? Has anyone done this or are they too stringy? Or toxic? I note you can eat the immature flower buds. Would welcome anyone's thoughts on this as okra for some reason seems to be far more difficult to grow!

Elizabeth H.
Raffi	Fri Oct 23 2009

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