Abelmoschus

Abelmoschus ( Abelmoschus moschatus ), illustration

The Bisameibisch ( Abelmoschus ) is a plant genus which belongs to the mallow family ( Malvaceae ). The species are native to subtropical and tropical areas of south and southeast Asia and northern Australia.

Description

The Bisameibisch species are one-, two - or perennial herbaceous plants that reach heights of growth of 0.2 to 4 m. The plants are often hairy. The alternate and spirally arranged, petiolate leaves are usually three to siebenlappig. Stipules are present.

The flowers are usually solitary in the leaf axils. The hermaphroditic, flowers are radial symmetry fünfzählig. The outer cup is five to fünfzehnlappig. The five green sepals are fused. The five petals are fused intensely colored funnel-shaped. In the subfamily Malvoideae the many stamens are fused into a tube surrounding the stamp, the so-called Columna. Five carpels are fused into a superior ovaries. Pollination is by insects ( entomophily ).

There is formed a generally hairy, 20 to 50 mm long capsule fruit, which contains many (30 to 50) are seeds.

System

The genus was erected in 1787 by the German botanist Friedrich Casimir Medicus. He put in some species of the genus Hibiscus characteristic features of style and stigma firmly and took this occasion to describe a new genus. The name goes back to the musky scent of the seeds.

Types (selection)

There are about six to 15 species, all of which are native to Southeast Asia:

• Abelmoschus crinitus Wallich
• Abelmoschus ficulneus (L.) Wight & Arnott ex Wight
• Abelmoschus manihot (L.) Medik. ( Syn: Hibiscus tetraphyllos Roxb. ): This type is very common in the mountains of Hindostan, provides a flat yellow bast fiber ( Abelmoschus fiber ), which is similar in tender texture of the best jute, but very soon loses tans and strength when wet. It occurs as jute trade. Many other species of the genus give spinnable fibers, and others are used as ornamental plants. Subspecies: Abelmoschus manihot (L.) Medik. var manihot
• Abelmoschus manihot var pungens ( Roxburgh ) Hochreutiner

• Abelmoschus moschatus subsp. biakensis ( Hochr. ) Borssum Waalkes
• Abelmoschus moschatus Medik. subsp. moschatus
• Abelmoschus moschatus subsp. tuberosus ( Span. ) Borss.Waalk.

Swell

• Christian Grunert: Garden flowers from A to Z. 6th edition. Neumann Verlag, Leipzig Radebeul 1984.