Code
HIBFC
Growth form
broadleaf
Biological cycle
annual
Habitat
terrestrial
🗒 Synonyms
| synonym | Abelmoschus albo-rubens Benth. |
| synonym | Abelmoschus albo-ruber F. Muell. |
| synonym | Abelmoschus alborubens Benth. |
| synonym | Abelmoschus alboruber F.Muell. |
| synonym | Abelmoschus ficulneoides (Lindl.) Walp. |
| synonym | Abelmoschus hirsutissimus A. Chev. |
| synonym | Abelmoschus strictus Voigt |
| synonym | Hibiscus ficulneoides Lindl. |
| synonym | Hibiscus ficulneus L. |
| synonym | Hibiscus mauritianus Spreng. |
| synonym | Hibiscus prostratus Roxb. |
| synonym | Hibiscus sinuatus Cav. |
| synonym | Hibiscus strictus Roxb. |
| synonym | Laguna aculeata Cav. |
| synonym | Laguna angulata Hort. ex G. Don |
| synonym | Laguna sinuata (Cav.) Hornem. |
| synonym | Solandra aculeata Poir. |
| synonym | Solandra spinosa Poir. |
🗒 Common Names
| Malgache |
|
📚 Overview
Diagnostic Keys
Global description
Abelmoschus ficulneus is a fairly tall, erect, sub-woody and sparsely branched plant that can grow over 2 m in height. The leaves are simple, alternate, large, serrated or palmately lobed to often dilated lobes and always rounded at the apex. The terminal inflorescence consists of flowers about 3 cm, spaced apart, white to pink in colour and purple in the center. The fruits are big ellipsoidal capsules, 3 cm to 4 cm long, ending in a short point and containing many dark grey seeds.
Cotyledons
The cotyledons are held by a hirsute petiole, 2.2 to 3.5 cm long. The lamina is cordate, 20 mm long and 22 to 25 mm wide, slightly notched at apex, veined and light green in colour.
First leaves
The first leaves are simple, alternate and petiolated. The lamina is largely oval, cordate at the base, 4 to 6 cm long and 3.5 to 4 cm wide, 5-veined. The margin is almost entire (very little defined lobes until the 3rd leaf).
General habit
Large erect plant, with strong stem and little or no branching. It reaches 2 m in height.
Underground system
It has a taproot system.
Stem
The stem is robust, cylindrical to fluted at the base, hollow, strongly hispid, covered with multicellular hairs.
Leaves
The leaves are simple, alternate, carried by a long petiole (5-8 cm). The leaf blade is broadly ovate, more or less deeply palmately lobed (3-5 lobes) and deeply cordate at the base. The blade is 4 to 10 cm long and wide. The top of the lobe is dilated and rounded. The margin is serrated. Palmately veined with 3-5 ribs. The upper surface is glabrous except for a few long hairs along the veins. The underside is scattered with trifid stellate hairs.
Inflorescence
The inflorescence consists of solitary axillary flowers, shortly stalked, 3 cm in diameter, forming terminal clusters.
Flower
The flower has an epicalyx consisting of 4 rapidly deciduous lobes. The calyx has 5 fused sepals, in the shaped of a spathe open diagonally, ending with fused terminal of the 5 tips of sepals. The corolla has 5 broadly obovate petals, rounded top, white to pink with purple center. The numerous stamens are assembled in a central column surrounding the ovary with 5 loculi surmounted by a style with 5 branches, ending with disc stigmata.
Fruit
The fruit is an oblong, ellipsoid, robust, capsule, pentagonal, pubescent, 3 to 5 cm long and 2 cm in diameter, ending in a short point. It consists of five valves that separate at the top at maturity and containing numerous seeds.
Seed
The seed is globose, 2 mm in diameter. Integument dark gray in colour, furrowed with fine longitudinal ridges covered with fine stellate hairs.
Abelmoschus ficulneus is a fairly tall, erect, sub-woody and sparsely branched plant that can grow over 2 m in height. The leaves are simple, alternate, large, serrated or palmately lobed to often dilated lobes and always rounded at the apex. The terminal inflorescence consists of flowers about 3 cm, spaced apart, white to pink in colour and purple in the center. The fruits are big ellipsoidal capsules, 3 cm to 4 cm long, ending in a short point and containing many dark grey seeds.
Cotyledons
The cotyledons are held by a hirsute petiole, 2.2 to 3.5 cm long. The lamina is cordate, 20 mm long and 22 to 25 mm wide, slightly notched at apex, veined and light green in colour.
First leaves
The first leaves are simple, alternate and petiolated. The lamina is largely oval, cordate at the base, 4 to 6 cm long and 3.5 to 4 cm wide, 5-veined. The margin is almost entire (very little defined lobes until the 3rd leaf).
General habit
Large erect plant, with strong stem and little or no branching. It reaches 2 m in height.
Underground system
It has a taproot system.
Stem
The stem is robust, cylindrical to fluted at the base, hollow, strongly hispid, covered with multicellular hairs.
Leaves
The leaves are simple, alternate, carried by a long petiole (5-8 cm). The leaf blade is broadly ovate, more or less deeply palmately lobed (3-5 lobes) and deeply cordate at the base. The blade is 4 to 10 cm long and wide. The top of the lobe is dilated and rounded. The margin is serrated. Palmately veined with 3-5 ribs. The upper surface is glabrous except for a few long hairs along the veins. The underside is scattered with trifid stellate hairs.
Inflorescence
The inflorescence consists of solitary axillary flowers, shortly stalked, 3 cm in diameter, forming terminal clusters.
Flower
The flower has an epicalyx consisting of 4 rapidly deciduous lobes. The calyx has 5 fused sepals, in the shaped of a spathe open diagonally, ending with fused terminal of the 5 tips of sepals. The corolla has 5 broadly obovate petals, rounded top, white to pink with purple center. The numerous stamens are assembled in a central column surrounding the ovary with 5 loculi surmounted by a style with 5 branches, ending with disc stigmata.
Fruit
The fruit is an oblong, ellipsoid, robust, capsule, pentagonal, pubescent, 3 to 5 cm long and 2 cm in diameter, ending in a short point. It consists of five valves that separate at the top at maturity and containing numerous seeds.
Seed
The seed is globose, 2 mm in diameter. Integument dark gray in colour, furrowed with fine longitudinal ridges covered with fine stellate hairs.
Wiktrop
| Attributions | Wiktrop |
| Contributors | |
| Status | UNDER_CREATION |
| Licenses | CC_BY |
| References |
Description
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No Data
📚 Nomenclature and Classification
No Data
📚 Natural History
Life Cycle
Life cycle
Annual
Cyclicity
Madagascar : A. ficulneus germinates at the beginning of the rainy season with the first rains. Flowering and fruiting of the plant takes place at the end of the rainy season.
Azaad Gaungoo
| Attributions | |
| Contributors | |
| Status | UNDER_CREATION |
| Licenses | CC_BY |
| References |
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Reproduction
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A. ficulneus is an annual plant that multiplies only by seeds. The seeds are ejected by dehiscence of dry fruits early in the dry season; wet and sticky seeds are dispersed by animals and soil working tools.
Wiktrop
| Attributions | Wiktrop |
| Contributors | |
| Status | UNDER_CREATION |
| Licenses | CC_BY |
| References |
Morphology
Growth form
Erected
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf type
Simple
Type of prefoliation
Broad leaves
Latex
Without latex
Stem section
Round
Ridged or grooved
Root type
Taproot
Hollow or solid stem
Hollow stem
Stipule type
No stipule
Leaf attachment type
with petiole
Fruit type
Capsule splitting vertically in 2 carpels
Capsule mericarp
Lamina base
cordate
Lamina margin
denticulate
Lamina apex
acute
obtuse
rounded
Upperface pilosity
Less hairy
Upperface hair type
Long
Lowerface pilosity
Less hairy
Lowerface hair type
Stellate
Simple leaf type
Lamina pentalobed
Lamina trilobed
Lamina section
flat
Lamina Veination
3 opposite at the basis
Flower color
Pinkish
White
Inflorescence type
Raceme
Axillary solitary flower
Stem pilosity
Dense hairy
Stem hair type
Hispidus
Short and long hairs mixed
Life form
Broadleaf plant
Ecology
Madagascar: A weed which occurs in wet depressions having black fertile soils and alluvial plains of lowland (Vertisols, silty clay alluvium and humic ferruginous) of Southwest and West (semi arid) and Northwest (subhumid). Species usually found in fallow fields, roadsides and as a weed in crops and rainfed crops in semi-arid and sub-humid areas (greatly marked dry season). A. ficulneus is present from sea level up to an altitude of 800 m, on sunny or very slightly shaded ground in cropping systems of cotton and semi-intensive corn with or without inorganic fertilization.
Wiktrop
| Attributions | Wiktrop |
| Contributors | |
| Status | UNDER_CREATION |
| Licenses | CC_BY |
| References |
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No Data
📚 Habitat and Distribution
General Habitat
Habitat
Terrestrial
Description
Geographical distibution
Madagascar
Comoros
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Origin
A. ficulneus is native to India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka
Worldwide distribution
The species is found in tropical Africa, Madagascar, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Australia.
A. ficulneus is native to India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka
Worldwide distribution
The species is found in tropical Africa, Madagascar, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Australia.
Arouna Seechurn
| Attributions | |
| Contributors | |
| Status | UNDER_CREATION |
| Licenses | CC_BY |
| References |
No Data
📚 Occurrence
No Data
📚 Demography and Conservation
Risk Statement
Local weediness
Comoros: A. ficulneus is not found in crops.
Madagascar: Species less frequent but sometimes abundant and harmful in corn and cotton fields (crops mostly grown on these soil types). This large size and fast growing species is often associated with plants having similar behavior or ecology (Rottboellia cochinchinensis or Sesbania punctata).
Mauritius: A. ficulneus is not found in crops.
Reunion: absent.
Seychelles: absent.
Azaad Gaungoo, Lovena Nowbut
| Attributions | |
| Contributors | |
| Status | UNDER_CREATION |
| Licenses | CC_BY |
| References |
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No Data
📚 Uses and Management
Uses
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Food: The young stems and roots can be eaten as roasted; the plant is grown as vegetable.
The seeds are used in some countries to improve the taste of coffee.
The green stem produces a mucilaginous extract which effectively clarifies sugarcane syrup.
Fruit and leaves are eaten in times of food shortage.
Medicinal: The crushed leaves with brine are used against diarrhea. In cases of scorpion sting, root crushed in a glass of water is taken as a drink while the root paste is applied on the stung area.
Crafts: A good quality fiber is obtained from the stems of A. ficulneus. The white fiber is long, shiny, thin and strong. It is used to make string and light ropes.
Wiktrop
| Attributions | Wiktrop |
| Contributors | |
| Status | UNDER_CREATION |
| Licenses | CC_BY |
| References |
Management
Local management
Madagascar: The control of this early and fast growing species also requires early and effective intervention. In south-western Madagascar, farmers use manual weeding with an angady in addition to or absence of mechanical weeding with an animal drawn moldboard plough equiped with a rib shaver or with a ridger, in cotton or corn based cropping systems.
Wiktrop
| Attributions | Wiktrop |
| Contributors | |
| Status | UNDER_CREATION |
| Licenses | CC_BY |
| References |
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No Data
📚 Information Listing
Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
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Thomas Le Bourgeois
| Attributions | |
| Contributors | |
| Status | UNDER_CREATION |
| Licenses | CC_BY |
| References |
References
- Le Bourgeois, T., A. Carrara, M. Dodet, W. Dogley, A. Gaungoo, P. Grard, Y. Ibrahim, E. Jeuffrault, G. Lebreton, P. Poilecot, J. Prosperi, J. A. Randriamampianina, A. P. Andrianaivo and F. Théveny (2008). Advent-OI : Principales adventices des îles du sud-ouest de l'Océan Indien. Cirad. Montpellier, France, Cirad.
- HOCHREUTINER B.P. G. 1955 – Flore de Madagascar et des Comores 129è Famille MALVACEES p 6-7.
Information Listing > References
- Le Bourgeois, T., A. Carrara, M. Dodet, W. Dogley, A. Gaungoo, P. Grard, Y. Ibrahim, E. Jeuffrault, G. Lebreton, P. Poilecot, J. Prosperi, J. A. Randriamampianina, A. P. Andrianaivo and F. Théveny (2008). Advent-OI : Principales adventices des îles du sud-ouest de l'Océan Indien. Cirad. Montpellier, France, Cirad.
- HOCHREUTINER B.P. G. 1955 – Flore de Madagascar et des Comores 129è Famille MALVACEES p 6-7.
Images
Herbarium pictures ReCOLNAT: https://explore.recolnat.org/search/botanique/simplequery=Abelmoschus%2520ficulneus
Thomas Le Bourgeois
| Attributions | |
| Contributors | |
| Status | UNDER_CREATION |
| Licenses | CC_BY |
| References |
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No Data
🐾 Taxonomy
| Root | Root |
| Kingdom | Plantae |
| Phylum | Tracheophyta |
| Class | Magnoliopsida |
| Order | Malvales |
| Family | Malvaceae |
| Genus | Abelmoschus |
| Species | Abelmoschus ficulneus (L.) Wight & Arn. ex Wight |
📊 Temporal Distribution
📷 Related Observations
