Corchorus aestuans
L.
West African mallow
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What to Eat
Edible parts: Leaves, Root, Vegetable
The leaves are eaten raw or cooked as a potherb, and the unripe fruit are cooked and eaten.
Where to Find It
A tropical plant. It grows naturally on volcanic ash soils. It grows on damp flats. It can be in savannah woodland. In Nepal it grows between 400-1000 m altitude. In Pakistan it grows from sea level to 2,000 m altitude. It can grow in arid places.
Africa, Andaman Is., Angola, Asia, Australia, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Central America*, Chad, China, Colombia, Comoros, Congo DR, Congo R, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Cuba, Dominican Republic, East Africa, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guianas, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Himalayas, Honduras, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Kenya, Laos, Lesser Antilles, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Mexico, Middle East, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, North America, Northeastern India, Oman, Pacific, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, PNG, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Sahel, Sao Tome and Principe, SE Asia, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Socotra, Somalia, South Africa, South America, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Trinidad & Tobago, Uganda, USA, Venezuela, Vietnam, West Africa, West Indies*, Zambia, Zimbabwe,
How to Identify
A herb which grows 40-80 cm tall. It spreads over the ground. The stems are reddish and densely hairy. The leaves are sword shaped or oval, and taper towards the tip. The leaf blade is 3-8 cm long by 2-5 cm wide. They are dark green and have teeth around the edge. Often the lowest tooth, near the base of the leaf, is elongated into a bristle. The leaf stalk is 1-4 cm long. The flowers are yellow, and in pairs opposite the leaves. The fruit is a thin capsule 18-30 mm long. It has 2-5 valves and wings along the edge.
How to Grow
Plants are often self sown from seed.
Other Uses
A good quality fibre is obtained from the bark - it is used for making string. One of the jute fibre plants.
Other Information
It is a cultivated food plant.
Notes
There are about 100 Corchorus species. Also in the family Sparmanniaceae and Tiliaceae
Names & Synonyms
Awachuwaey, Balu jihar, Kanakadali, Chamalawi, Chamalimba, Chechbhaji, Chonch, Cunhunho, Etigo-akalocoro, Gon-shaw, Kagnama, Kukakudhinge, Lalel-babos, Nalu, Papau ockroe, Patoi, Phute jhangi, Pilaw-hka, Pilaw-yin, Rumput bayam rusa, Telele yabasangu, Thelele, Titapat
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