Abelmoschus caillei
Encyclopedia
Abelmoschus caillei, the West African okra, is a plant species in the family Malvaceae
. It occurs in West
and Central Africa
, where it is used as a vegetable
. It originated as an allopolyploid hybrid of Abelmoschus esculentus
and A. manihot. The same hybrid was produced experimentally in Japan where it is known as Abelmoschus glutino-textile.
Malvaceae
Malvaceae, or the mallow family, is a family of flowering plants containing over 200 genera with close to 2,300 species. Judd & al. Well known members of this family include okra, jute and cacao...
. It occurs in West
West Africa
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the UN definition of Western Africa includes the following 16 countries and an area of approximately 5 million square km:-Flags of West Africa:...
and Central Africa
Central Africa
Central Africa is a core region of the African continent which includes Burundi, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Rwanda....
, where it is used as a vegetable
Vegetable
The noun vegetable usually means an edible plant or part of a plant other than a sweet fruit or seed. This typically means the leaf, stem, or root of a plant....
. It originated as an allopolyploid hybrid of Abelmoschus esculentus
Okra
Okra is a flowering plant in the mallow family. It is valued for its edible green seed pods. The geographical origin of okra is disputed, with supporters of South Asian, Ethiopian and West African origins...
and A. manihot. The same hybrid was produced experimentally in Japan where it is known as Abelmoschus glutino-textile.