ambari hemp, bastard jute, bimlipatum jute, brown Indian hemp, confederate rose, Deccan hemp, false roselle, gambo hemp, Guinea hemp, kenaf, kenaf hibiscus, kenaf seed oil, stockrose, vegetable kenaf, wild hollyhock, wild sorrel, wild stockrose, Hibiscus cannabinus

Hibiscus cannabinus

Distribution: It is common in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. It is difficult to state its native home.

It is cultivated in Pakistan for fibre which is white, soft and silkys. In quality it is said to be equal to jute and may be employed for all purposes for which jute is suitable. The seeds are fed to cattle and poultry, and sometimes oil is extracted which is useful as a lubricant. Various parts are also said to be medicinally important.

Floral Description :

According to Flora of China,  Hibiscus cannabinus is Herbs annual or perennial, erect, robust, to 3 m tall, glabrous, sparsely sharply spiny. Stipules silklike, 6-8 mm; petiole 6-20 cm, sparsely spiny; leaf blade dimorphic; blades on proximal part of stem cordate, those on distal part of stem palmately 3-7-lobed, lobes lanceolate, 2-12 × 0.6-2 cm, base cordate or nearly rounded, margin serrate, glabrous on both surfaces, apex acuminate; basal veins 5-7, glandular near base of midrib. Flowers solitary, axillary, nearly sessile. Epicalyx lobes 7-10, not red, filiform, free, 6-8 mm, sparsely spiny. Calyx nearly campanulate, connate for ca. 1/2 length, ca. 3 cm, spiny and white tomentose, lobes 5, lanceolate, 1-2 cm, long caudate. Corolla yellow with red center; petals oblong-obovate, ca. 6 cm. Staminal column 1.5-2 cm, glabrous. Styles 5, glabrous. Capsule globose, ca. 1.5 cm in diam., densely spiny, apex shortly beaked. Seeds reniform, subglabrous.

Medicinal Uses:

• Plant depurative, a poison antidote, tonic, stimulant, restorative and diuretic, to treat urogenital problems, anemia, malaria, jaundice, menstrual disorders, leucorrhea.
• Flowers juice taken against biliousness; calyx decoction diuretic; seed stomachic and aphrodisiac.
• Fruits and leaves poison antidote, emollient, aphrodisiac, for urogenital disorders. 
• Leaves anthelmintic, used for gonorrhea, skin and venereal diseases, eczema, anemia, stomach disorders, toothache, jaundice.
• Powdered leaves are applied to sores and boils.
• Veterinary medicine, against internal parasites.

Chemical Constitutes:

(+)-Lariciresinol, (+)-Lirioresinol B, (+)-Medioresinol, (+)-Pinoresinol, Boehmenan H, erythro-Canabisine H, Grossamide K,  Hibiscanal, Hibiscetin 3-glucoside, Kaempferitrin, N-trans-Feruloyl tyramine, o-Hibiscanone, threo-Carolignan H, threo-Carolignan K

Common Names:

in English: ambari hemp, bastard jute, bimlipatum jute, brown Indian hemp, confederate rose, Deccan hemp, false roselle, gambo hemp, Guinea hemp, kenaf, kenaf hibiscus, kenaf seed oil, stockrose, vegetable kenaf, wild hollyhock, wild sorrel, wild stockrose
in Brazil: quenaf
in Peru: cañamo de Guinea, kenaf
in New Zealand: fou hele (Niue Island)
in Angola: ulo, use in Benin: eroukpan ekoun, ganwama
in Central African Republic: jimatsambere
in Guinea: follere
in Malawi: kolokondwe, (mt)sonkwe, nyaduwa, sonkhwe
in Mali: foléré, torida
in Nigeria: yakuwar kare
in Senegal: da, fasak, gombo-chavre, tas
in Sierra Leone: daren
in Southern Africa: kenafhibiskus, umgangampunza, wildestokroos
in Tanzania: lihana, malaba
in Yoruba: isapa iseku, oja ikooko, ida orisa, yemoro, yewuru
in Zimbabwe: umGanganpunza, sosoori
in India: alka, ambaadi, ambada, ambade, ambadi, ambalika, ambari, ambashtha, ambastha, ambika, amla, amlapatraka, balika, bhenda, bhinid, bhurimalli, canampu, canappuppuliccai, cetikkacuraikkirai, chhinnapatri, chitrapushpi, curi, dridhv, gandhapatri, garnikura, ghongookoora, ghongukuru, gogu, golungu, gongoora, gongura, gonkoora, gonkura, gulugu, gulungu, gulunguchettu, gungkura, habbulmishk, habbulmushk, holada pundrike, holadapundrike, kacalkirai, kacaraikkirai, kaccakkirai, kaccam, kaccirakku, kacciranku, kaccorikkirai, kaccurai, kaccurakkainar, kaccurakkirai, kaccuram, kaccurukkukkirai, kachurai, kachurukkai, kacilikkirai, kacini-k-kirai, kacinikkirai, kairavali, kairavalikacceti, kairavalikam, kancavu, kanchavu, kanjaru, karaparni, kasala gida, katiyilai, kattukkayccurai, kattuppuliccai, kayccirakku, kayccori, kayccurai, kayccurukku, kaycurai, kayiciranku, keshi, kincaka, kincakakkirai, kotikkacarai, kottikkacaraikkirai, machika, macika, maryurika, mayurvidala, mestapat, mukhavachika, mushkadanah, mushkdana, nali, nalita, oulimanji, palungu, patsan, phalamla, phalungu, piliccai, pindi soppu, pinidrikegida, prashthika, puliccai, puliccaikkirai, puliccakkirai, puliccana, puliccankirai, puliccha keerai, pulicciru kirai, puliccukkirai, pulich-chirukirai, pulichai, pulichai-keera, pulichakeerai, pulicharkirai, pulichhai, pulichi, pulimancai, pulimanci, pulimanji, pulimanjai, pulimaricai, pulivincai, pulu, pundi, pundikura, rajjudatri, sahasravatamulika, san, sana, shathamba, shreyasi, sougree, sujjado, sun, valikai, valikaikkirai, vrttabija, vundi
in Japan: kenafu
in the Philippines: álas doce
in Tibet: ambasti, somaradza

Other Names (Scientific):

• Abelmoschus congener Walp.
• Abelmoschus verrucosus Walp. 
• Furcaria cannabina Ulbr. 
• Furcaria cavanillesii Kostel.
• Hibiscus malangensis Baker f. 
• Hibiscus vanderystii De Wild.