Abelmoschus moschatus Medic

Common Name: Musk mallow

Family: Malvaceae

HABIT

AN ERECT, ANNUAL OR BIENNIAL, HIRSUTE HERB OR UNDERSHRUB.

STEMS

AN ERECT, ANNUAL OR BIENNIAL, HIRSUTE HERB OR UNDERSHRUB.

LEAVES

6-22 CM LONG AND 3-24 CM WIDE, CORDATE AT BASE, MOSTLY ORBICULAR TO TRANSVERSELY ELLIPTIC IN OUTLINE, BUT VARIABLE IN SHAPE; LOWER OVATE, ACUTE; UPPER PALMATELY 3-7-LOBED; MARGINS CRENATE, SERRATE OR IRREGULARLY TOOTHED, HAIRY ON BOTH SURFACES.

FLOWERS

Flowers usually solitary, axillary, sometimes in few flowered racemes; corolla bright yellow with a purple centre.

FRUITS

Capsules 6.5-7.5 cm long, oblong-lanceolate, acute, fulvous-hairy. 

SEEDS

Serpentiform, black.