Practical
Plants

Abelmoschus manihot

Aibika

a perennial member of the Abelmoschus genus in the family Malvaceae.

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Taxonomy and growth

Family
Malvaceae
Life cycle
perennial
Growth rate
vigorous
Height
2 m
Fertility
Insects
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Insects

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Young leaves - raw or cooked[1][2]. Sweet and mucilaginous[1]. Flower buds - raw or cooked[1].

Plant part
Flowers
Plant part
Leaves

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The bark is said to be emmenagogue[3]. 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[6]. In Nepal the root juice is warmed and applied to sprains[6]. The juice of the flowers is used to treat chronic bronchitis and toothache[6].

Product or use
Emmenagogue
Product or use
Vulnerary
Product or use
Odontalgic

Environment

Range
E. Asia - South-eastern Asia to Northern Australia.
Habitat
Wasteland and humid rocky hillsides[4]. In Nepal it grows at elevations of 700 - 1700 metres in rocky places with shrubs[6]. Grasslands, near streams and margins of farm land[5].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 9+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

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.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Easily grown in any well-drained soil in a sunny position[2]. Plants will tolerate occasional short-lived lows down to about -5°c so long as they are in a very well-drained soil[4]. 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[2].

References

  1. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9

    ↩1↩2↩3

  2. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3

  3. Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement). Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi. 1986-00-00

    ↩

  4. Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Conservatory and Indoor Plants Volumes 1 & 2 Pan Books, London. 1998-00-00 ISBN 0-330-37376-5

    ↩1↩2

  5. Flora of China 1994-00-00 http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/

    ↩

  6. Manandhar. N. P. Plants and People of Nepal Timber Press. Oregon. 2002-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-527-6

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

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