Abelmoschus esculentus Moench

Herb or suffrutex, the stem up to 2.5 m high, glabrous or sparsely setulose. Leaves with the petiole 5-20 cm long, setulose, the stipules subulate, up to 12 mm long, setulose, early caducous; blade subcircular in outline and up to 20 cm in diam, cuneate to truncate to cordate at the base, palmatilobed,-cleft or-fid, the segments deltoid-ovate-to narrowly elliptic or oblanceolate, acute at the apex, finely to coarsely serrate at the margin, 3-or 5(-7)-palminerved, sparsely setulose espe-cially along the prominent veins beneath. Flowers solitary in the uppermost leaf axils, the pedicel stout, terete, enlarged near the apex, 5-15 mm long, up to 2.5 cm long and much thickened in fruit, setulose; epicalyx bractlets 8-12, linear-lanceollate, 12-15 mm long, setulose, caducous; calyx 5-dentate, up to 2.5 cm long, setulose; petals asymmetrical, rounded at the apex, 3-4(-6) cm long, yellow with dark red or purple basal spots; staminal tube about l2 as long as the corolla; styles exceed-ing slightly the staminal tube. Capsule oblong to narrowly oblong-ovate, long-acuminate, 5-angulate, 7.5-16 cm long and 1.5-2.5 cm in diam, densely short-hirsute when young, at length glabrescent; seeds globose-reniform, ca 5 mm in diam, glabrous or minutely stellate-puberulus or sometimes pilose.

A tropical plant. It suits the hot humid tropical lowlands but is unsuited to the highlands. It cannot tolerate drought. It is very sensitive to frost. It can grow in salty soils. They grow best where temperatures are between 20-36°C. It can grow well in dry climates with irrigation. It suits hot humid environments. It does best on well drained well manured soils but will grow on many soils. A pH or 5.5-7.0 is best. It suits plant hardiness zones 8-12. In Yunnan.

Pods are eaten cooked. They are slimy, but less so if fried. They are also less sticky if a little lemon is added. Dried powdered seeds can be used in soups. It thickens the soup. They can also be pickled. Young leaves can be eaten cooked. They can be dried and stored. Flowers can also be eaten. Okra is frozen and canned. The seeds are roasted and used as a coffee substitute.

They are grown from seeds. Seeds are easy to collect. They need high temperatures for germination (over 20°C) and a sunny position. Often seeds are soaked for 24 hours before sowing to give quick germination. Seeds are sown 1.5-2.5 cm deep with 2-3 seeds per hole. Later these are thinned out to one plant. Seeds can be sown in nurseries and plants transplanted. Pinching out the tops of plants when 30 cm high encourages branching. To select seed of a particular variety seed plants must be separated 400 m from other varieties. A spacing of about 90 x 45 cm is suitable. About 8-10 kg of seed are required for one hectare. Most kinds respond to fertiliser. Seeds do not breed true and can cross with other kinds of okra growing nearby. This is not normally a problem but simply means plants and fruit are not all the same.