Edible hibiscus (Hibiscus esculentus); okra
An annual herbaceous plant of the mallow family. The stem is branched, 1.5-2 m tall. The leaves are long-petioled, heart-shaped, 3-7-lobed or pinnately separated with broadly oval toothed lobes. Flowers are bisexual, regular, large, single in leaf axils; corolla is yellow, with a dark spot at the base. The fruit is a box with 5-11 faces. Blooms in July – August.
Spread. Cultivated in the south as a food plant.
Raw material . Young (3-6-day-old) ovaries are consumed (boiled or canned).
Chemical composition . Young ovaries contain a significant amount of proteins, mucus, ascorbic acid (up to 45 mg%), carotene, B vitamins.
Pharmacological properties and use . The plant has diuretic properties. Edible Hibiscus fruits are a valuable dietary product for patients with gastritis and peptic ulcer disease of the stomach and duodenum, they are eaten boiled or fried, used to prepare soups and sauces, dried, frozen, canned.