Practical
Plants

Abutilon theophrasti

China Jute

an annual member of the Abutilon genus in the family Malvaceae.

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Taxonomy and growth

Family
Malvaceae
Life cycle
annual
Height
0.9 m
Flower type
hermaphrodite

Uses

Edible uses

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

Seeds - raw or cooked. They can be eaten raw when they are under-ripe[7]. The ripe seed is dried and ground into a powder then used in soups, bread etc[5][6]. It is washed first to remove any bitterness[7]. The seed contains about 17.4% protein, 16% fat, 33.8% carbohydrate, 4.4% ash[7]. Unripe fruit - raw[5]. This is really more of a seedpod[K].

Plant part
Fruit
Plant part
Seed

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.

Ophthalmic. Used in the treatment of dysentery and opacity of the cornea[2][6]. The leaves contain 0.01% rutin and are used as a demulcent[13]. A tea made from the dried leaves is used in the treatment of dysentery and fevers[12]. A poultice of the leaves is applied to ulcers[12]. The bark is astringent and diuretic[13]. A tea made from the dried root is used in the treatment of dysentery and urinary incontinence[12]. It is also used to treat fevers[13]. The seed is powdered and eaten in the treatment of dysentery, stomach-aches etc[12]. It is demulcent, diuretic, emollient, laxative and stomachic[11].

Product or use
Astringent
Product or use
Demulcent
Product or use
Diuretic
Product or use
Emollient
Product or use
Laxative
Product or use
Ophthalmic
Product or use
Poultice
Product or use
Stomachic

Material uses

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

A fibre obtained from the stems is used as a jute substitute[1][3]. It is coarse but flexible and strong[3][4]. It is also used in rope-making[14][16]. It takes dyes well[4]. The fibre is also used for making paper, the stems are harvested in the summer, the leaves removed and the stems steamed in order to remove the fibres[8]. The seeds contain about 19% of a semi-drying oil[13].

Product or use
Fibre
Product or use
Oil
Product or use
Paper

Environment

Range
Asia - tropical. Naturalised in S.E. Europe and the Mediterranean[15].
Habitat
Cultivated ground and waste places in the Mediterranean[15].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 4+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline, very 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 early April in a greenhouse. Germination should take place within 2 - 3 weeks. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in May or June, after the last expected frosts. An outdoor sowing in April to early May in situ could also be tried, especially in those areas with warm summers.

Cultivation

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

Requires full sun or part day shade and a fertile well-drained soil[9]. Tolerates a pH in the range 5 to 8.2. This species is cultivated for its fibre in China and Russia where it succeeds as far north as latitude 56°n in W. Siberia[16][1]. It is hardier and more disease-resistant than Jute (Corchorus spp.)[1]. Introduced to N. America in the eighteenth century, it has become a pestilential weed in many parts of the country[10].

References

  1. ? Encyclopaedia Britannica. 15th edition.

    ↩1↩2↩3

  2. Singh. Dr. G. and Kachroo. Prof. Dr. P. Forest Flora of Srinagar. Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh 1976-00-00

    ↩

  3. Buchanan. R. A Weavers Garden.

    ↩1↩2

  4. Hill. A. F. Economic Botany. The Maple Press 1952-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  5. Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169

    ↩1↩2

  6. Stuart. Rev. G. A. Chinese Materia Medica. Taipei. Southern Materials Centre

    ↩1↩2

  7. Reid. B. E. Famine Foods of the Chiu-Huang Pen-ts'ao. Taipei. Southern Materials Centre 1977-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3

  8. Bell. L. A. Plant Fibres for Papermaking. Liliaceae Press 1988-00-00

    ↩

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

    ↩

  10. Coffey. T. The History and Folklore of North American Wild Flowers. Facts on File. 1993-00-00 ISBN 0-8160-2624-6

    ↩

  11. Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. Medicinal Plants of China Reference Publications, Inc. 1985-00-00 ISBN 0-917256-20-4

    ↩

  12. Foster. S. & Duke. J. A. A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants. Eastern and Central N. America. Houghton Mifflin Co. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0395467225

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  13. 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

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  14. Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959-00-00

    ↩

  15. ? Flora Europaea Cambridge University Press 1964-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  16. Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974-00-00 ISBN 0094579202

    ↩1↩2

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