gombo; gumbo; oseille de gombo; ketmie gombo (from Ketmia Tourn., a pre-Linnean synonym of Hibiscus Linn.); ketmie comestible., Burkill, H.M. 1985. The useful plants of west tropical Africa, Vol. 4
kãndia (JB) (SENEGAL, CRIOULO), Burkill, H.M. 1985. The useful plants of west tropical Africa, Vol. 4
ñaod (JB) (SENEGAL, BADYARA), Burkill, H.M. 1985. The useful plants of west tropical Africa, Vol. 4
va-tienega (JB) va-tieneka (JB) (SENEGAL, BASARI), Burkill, H.M. 1985. The useful plants of west tropical Africa, Vol. 4
ε-diyèď a spiced sauce made from the fruit-husk (FG&G) gi-nyúwuď from nyú-wùdi: sauce (FG&G) (SENEGAL, BEDIK), Burkill, H.M. 1985. The useful plants of west tropical Africa, Vol. 4
kunéga (K&A (SENEGAL, DIOLA (Fogny)), Burkill, H.M. 1985. The useful plants of west tropical Africa, Vol. 4
kunéga (JB) kunégo (JB) (SENEGAL, DIOLA), Burkill, H.M. 1985. The useful plants of west tropical Africa, Vol. 4
okra; okro; lady’s fingers., Burkill, H.M. 1985. The useful plants of west tropical Africa, Vol. 4
Flora
Entry for ABELMOSCHUS esculentus (L.) Moench [family MALVACEAE]
Herbarium
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (K)
Collection
Flora Somalia
Resource Type
Reference Sources
Entry From
Flora Somalia, Vol 2, (1999) Author: by M. Thulin [updated by M. Thulin 2008]
Hibiscus esculentusL. [family MALVACEAE], (1753). [type as above]
Information
Stout annual herb, up to 2.5 m tall; young stems with short stiff simple hairs. Leaf-blades suborbicular in outline, up to c. 25 x 25 cm, 5–7-lobed or parted, with short stiff simple hairs on both surfaces; petiole up to 30 cm long. Flowers in leaf axils. Epicalyx bracts 7–12, linear to lanceolate, up to 25 mm long, present at time of flowering but later falling off. Calyx acuminate in bud, 3–4 cm long, rough outside. Petals yellow or white with dark purple base, 4–8 cm long. Capsule narrowly ellipsoid, usually 8 cm or more long. Seeds c. 5 mm long, depressed-globose, with concentric lines, sometimes pilose.
Range
in Somalia grown at least in N3, S2 and S3. Native of tropical Asia, now widely cultivated throughout the tropics for its edible fruits and occasionally naturalized;