Abelmoschus esculentus - Bhenda

bhenda, Abelmoschus esculentus

Okra is an annual plant growing about 1.5 metres tall. The plant is widely cultivated in warm temperate to tropical areas for its edible seedpods. It has various other edible and medicinal uses as well as being the source of a good fibre.

Uses

Digestive problems, Syphilis, Cuts, Wounds, Boils, Dysuria, Skin problems, Ardor urinae, Gonorrhoea, Dandruff.

Parts Used

Seeds, Fruits

Chemical Composition

The ripe fruits contain quercetin, hyperin (hyperoside), hydrolysate of precipitated mucilage, proanthocyanidins, D-glucose, D-glucuronic and galacturonic acids. Fresh flowers contain flavonol glycosides and anthocyanins.

Common names

Language	Common name
Kannada	bende kaayi
Hindi	bhendi, bhindi
Malayalam	venda, venta, ventak-kaya
Tamil	ventai, vendai, vendaik-kay, vendaikkai
Telugu	benda, bendakaya
Marathi	benda, bhajichi-bhendi, bhendi
Gujarathi
Punjabi
Kashmiri
Sanskrit	bhenda, darvika, gandhamula, pitali, tindisha, asrapatraka, bhinda, bhindatika, kasturilatika, kshatrasambhava, pichhila, sushaka
English	Okra ladies finger

Properties

Reference: Dravya - Substance, Rasa - Taste, Guna - Qualities, Veerya - Potency, Vipaka - Post-digesion effect, Karma - Pharmacological activity, Prabhava - Therepeutics.

Habit

Shrub

Identification

Leaf

Kind	Shape	Feature
Simple	Alternate	Palmately lobed, transversely orbicular, about 4-13 x 5-16 cm across, base cordate, 5-7 nerved, lobes about 3-7, ovate-oblong, ovate-triangular, with about 2-3 lobules, margins crenate-dentate, rarely entire, adpressed pubescent with stiff simple hairs both above and beneath, becoming glabrescent later, coriaceous, petiole usually longer than the leaf lamina, about 12-15 cm long, stipules filiform, sparsely hirsute, about 6-10 x 2-3 mm across. Inflorescence axillary or terminal, solitary

Flower

Type	Size	Color and composition	Stamen	More information
Bisexual	Axillary	Yellow	Many	pedicel slender, inarticulate, about 0.5-2 cm long, epicalyx 9-12, free, base rarely connate, segments about 1 cm long, calyx 5 lobed, base connate, valvate, membranous, stellate pubescent, about 1-2.5 x 1 cm across, corolla large, 5, yellow with dark purple or pink near the centre, obovate, densely studded with bristles, about 2-3.5 x 1-1.5 cm across. Stamens indefinite, monadelphous, forming an epipetalous staminal tube united with corolla, filament short, introrse, anthers basifixed, throughout. Ovary superior, 5 locular, ovules many, style 1, stigma discoid.

Fruit

Type	Size	Mass	Appearance	Seeds	More information
Capsule			ovoid-cylindric, apex beaked, dehiscent with longitudinal slits towards the base, densely hispid with simple hairs	Seed many, reniform or globose, about 3-5 mm across, villous or glabrous, black or dark brown.

Mode of Propagation

Seeds

How to plant/cultivate

Seed - sow early spring in a warm greenhouse. The seed germinates in 27 days at 15°c or 6 days at 35°c

Commonly seen growing in areas

Tropical area, Sub tropical area

Photo Gallery

• 

  Leaves

• 

  Leaves

• 

  Flower

• 

  Flower

• 

  Fruit

• 

  Fruit

• 

  Unripe seed

• 

  Seeds

External Links

• [ ]
• [ ]
• [ ]