Urena lobata

Kongojute ( Urena lobata )

The Kongojute ( Urena lobata ), also known in Brazil Aguaxima, is a flowering plant in the mallow family ( Malvaceae ). This species is widespread in the tropics worldwide; she is widely regarded as " weeds ". It is sometimes also used to Bastfaserngewinnung.

  • 6.1 Notes and references

Description

Appearance and leaf

The Kongojute grows as a perennial herbaceous plant to semi- shrub, reaching heights of growth of about 0.5 to 2 meters. The stems are tomentose covered with stellate hairs ( trichomes ).

The leaves are divided into petiole and leaf blade. The petiole is 1-4 inches long. The leaf blades are three-to five-lobed with rounded to heart- shaped Spreitenbasis. The leaf blades at the bottom of the stem axis are at a length of 4 to 5 centimeters and a width of 5 to 6 centimeters almost circular with a tricuspid upper end. The leaf blades in the central stem region are ovate and 5 to 7 times 3 to 6.5 inches tall. The leaf blades at the top of the stem axis are oblong to lanceolate with a length of 4 to 7 centimeters and a width of 1.5 to 3 centimeters. The leaves act by stellate pubescence more or less gray. The leaf margin is serrated. The early sloping side leaves are filiform with a length of 2 to 3 millimeters.

Flower and Fruit

The flowers appear singly or in groups in the leaf axils. The flower stems are hairy about 3 millimeters long and woolly. The hermaphrodite flowers are radial symmetry and fünfzählig. The 6 mm long and woolly hairy outer sepals are fused in the lower third. The five sepals are fused cup-shaped and shorter than the outer cup. The five petals are pink to reddish (rarely to 2.5 ) inches obovate with a length of 1 to 1.5. In the subfamily Malvoideae the many stamens are fused into a tube surrounding the stamp, the so-called Columna. This stamen column is approximately 1.5 inches long and bare. Five carpels are fused to a fünfkammerigen ovary. In each chamber a single seed is formed. The hairy stylus pen consists of ten branches ( twice as many as carpels ).

The flattened spherical fruit have a diameter of about 1 centimeter. The individual wedge-shaped fruits have barbs and stick like barnacles to clothes and hair.

Dissemination

The world's Kongojute is native to the tropics; their original home is unclear, although there is speculation especially on an Asian descent.

Especially in disturbed habitats, for example, affected by grazing land in Florida, the plant spreads quickly. Their proliferation is supported by the grazing livestock spread the seeds in the fur and the soil disturbance creates good conditions for the proliferation.

Use

In some countries, such as Brazil and Congo, which Kongojute is specifically planted for their bast fibers. The fibers, which are called in Brazil " Aramina " in Africa "Congo jute ", including sacking and ropes are made. From this usage in Africa is also the German name " Kongojute " derives.

System

The type Urena lobata belongs to the genus Urena from the tribe Hibisceae in the subfamily Malvoideae within the family (Malvaceae ). The first publication of Urena lobata was in 1753 by Linnaeus in Species Plantarum, 2, pp. 692

Within the species Urena lobata are several to many varieties differed (selection):

  • Urena lobata var chinensis ( Osbeck ) S.Y.Hu
  • Urena lobata var glauca ( flower) Borss.Waalk. ( Syn: Urena Lappago var glauca flower)
  • Urena lobata var henryi
  • Urena lobata L. var lobata (syn.: Urena sinuata L.)
  • Urena lobata var viminea ( Cav. ) Gürke ( Syn: Urena viminea Cav. )

Particularity

One of the name, this plant bears in Portuguese ( from the Tupi language ) in Brazil, is " Aguaxima ". Under this name an entry in the Encyclopédie ou Dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers by Denis Diderot, who was extremely close with the wording " The Aguaxima is a plant of Brazil and the islands of the southern America ," which Diderot is itself took the occasion to philosophize on the meaning of such a short entry in his encyclopedia; see Aguaxima.

Swell

  • AW Exell: Malvaceae in Flora Zambesiaca, Volume 1, 1961 Online..
  • Entry in the Flora of China ( English)
Fiber crop Stipule Column (botany) Ovary (botany)
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