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Abelmoschus moschatus

Common name:	Musk Mallow	Family:	Malvaceae
Author:	Medik.	Botanical references:	266, 272
Synonyms:	Hibiscus abelmoschus (L.)
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	S.E. Asia - Himalayas to China and Vietnam.
Habitat:	Open places in Nepal at elevations of 600 - 1100 metres[272]. Flat areas, valleys, stream sides and scrub slopes in western and southern China[266].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	2	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	3

Other Possible Synonyms:	From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below.
	A. moschatus subsp. moschatus[G]
Other Common Names:	From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
	Abelmosco [E], Ambercicegi [E], Ambrette [H,E], Bisam Eibisch [E], Gombo Musqu‚ [H], Kapas Hantu [E], Kapas Hutan [E], Kapasan [E], Kasturi Dana [E], Kostuli [E], Moschus [E], Moskus [E], Mushk Dana [E], Musk Mallow [H,E], Musk Okra [B,P], Musk Seed [H], Muskus [E], Zatakasturika [E],
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Malvales. Mallow family
Other Range Info:	From the Ethnobotany Database
	Borneo Britain Colombia Denmark France Germany Guatemala India Iran Italy Java Malaysia Mexico Netherlands Philippines Philippines(Tagalog) Samoa Sanscrit Spain Trinidad Turkey Venezuela

Physical Characteristics

Perennial growing to 2m by 1m at a fast rate. It is hardy to zone 9 and is frost tender. It is in flower from July to September, and the seeds ripen from August to October. The scented flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects. We rate it 2/5 for edibility and 3/5 for medicinal use.

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

Habitats and Possible Locations

Cultivated Beds, By Walls, By South Wall, By West Wall.

Edible Uses

Condiment Leaves Root Seed Seedpod.

Young leaves and shoots - cooked in soups[183, 272]. Used as a vegetable[238]. The leaves are also used to clarify sugar[183].
Unripe seedpods - cooked as a vegetable in much the same way as okra (A. esculentus)[183, 238, 272].
Seed - cooked[272]. It is fried or roasted and has a flavour similar to sesame seeds[272]. The seed is also used as a flavouring for liqueurs or to scent coffee[183, 238].
An essential oil is obtained from the plant and is used to flavour baked goods, ice cream, sweets and soft drinks[183].
Root[183]. No more details are given, though the root is likely to have a bland flavour and a fibrous texture.

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

Antihalitosis Antispasmodic Aphrodisiac Aromatherapy Digestive Nervine Stomachic Vulnerary.

An emulsion made from the seed is antispasmodic and is especially effective in the digestive system[4, 238]. The seeds are also chewed as a nervine, stomachic and to sweeten the breath[4, 238]. They are also said to be aphrodisiac[4, 238].
The seeds are valued medicinally for their diuretic, demulcent and stomachic properties. They are also said to be stimulant, antiseptic, cooling, tonic, carminative and aphrodisiac.
A paste of the bark is applied to cuts, wounds and sprains[272].
The essential oil is used in aromatherapy for the treatment of depression and anxiety[238]. It is also applied externally to treat cramp, poor circulation and aching joints[238].

Other Uses

Essential Fibre Insecticide Oil Size.

An essential oil is obtained from the plant[238]. It is used as a food flavouring and in perfumery as a musk substitute[238]. However, it has been known to cause photosensitivity so this use has been largely discontinued[238].
An oil obtained from the seed contains 18.9% linoleic acid[240]. The oil is f high econmic value[266]. Total yields of oil are not given[K].
The seeds are used as an insecticide[4, 238]. Another report says that extracts of the fruits and upper parts of the plant show insecticidal activity[240].
A fibre is obtained from the stem bark[238]. It is used to make ropes[272].
A mucilage obtained from the roots is used as a size for paper[238].

Cultivation details

Easily grown in a rich well-drained soil in a sunny position[238]. Tolerates a pH in the range 6 to 7.8.
This species is not hardy in the colder areas of the country, it tolerates temperatures down to about -5° c and can be grown outdoors in the milder areas of the country[238]. The plant grows as a shrub in frost-free climates but is usually cut back to the ground in British winters. So long as these winters are not too cold, however, it can usually be grown as a herbaceous perennial with new shoots being produced freely from the root-stock. These flower in the summer[238]. It is probably wise to apply a good mulch to the roots in the autumn[K].
It is best to cut back the stems to about 15cm long in the spring even if they have not been killed back by the frost[238]. This will ensure an abundance of new growth and plenty of flowers in the summer.
The musk mallow is widely cultivated in tropical climates for its many uses[238].
There is at least one named form, selected for its ornamental value. 'Mischief' is somewhat smaller than the species, reaching a height of 50cm[238].

Propagation

Seed - sow April in a greenhouse. The seed germinates best at a temperature around 24 - 24° c[238]. When large enough to handle, prick out the seedlings into individual pots of rich soil and plant them out after the last expected frosts[K]. The seed can also be sown in situ in late April in areas with warm summers.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July in a frame[238].

Scent

: No details on scent.

Cultivars

'': No entries have been made for this species as yet.

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

PFAF Web Pages

This plant is mentioned in the following web pages

PFAF: Species Database: ascii version

Web References

Latin and Worldwide Common Names From Multilingual Multiscript Plant Name Database by M. H. Porcher et. al. 1995 - 2000 Landcare Systems Research Laboratory, Department of Crop Production,Institute of Land and Food Resources, The University of Melbourne, Australia.
Details of Medicinal Uses, Habitats, etc. in M. Grieve A Modern Herbal (1931) [4]
[H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database
[E] Ethnobotany Data (common names, uses, countries) from the Ethnobotany Database.
[B] Data (Latin & Common names, other references) from the BONAP's Synonymized Checklist of the Vascular Flora of the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
[PHARM] Phytochemical Data (common names, uses, countries) from Dr Duke's Phytochemical Database.
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[P] Data. (uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.

References for Abelmoschus moschatus subsp. moschatus (a possible synonym).

[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.

References for Hibiscus abelmoschus (a possible synonym).

[H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database
[E] Ethnobotany Data (common names, uses, countries) from the Ethnobotany Database.

References for the family Malvaceae.

[CHINA] Draft Data Very detailed botanical/identification info. from the Flora of China.

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

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

[4] Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9
Not so modern (1930's?) but lots of information, mainly temperate plants.

[183] Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
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.

[238] Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995 ISBN 0-7513-020-31
A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.

[240] 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
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.

[245] Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8
An excellent, comprehensive book on scented plants giving a few other plant uses and brief cultivation details. There are no illustrations.

[266] Flora of China 1994
On-line version of the Flora - an excellent resource giving basic info on habitat and some uses.

Readers Comments

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Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
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