Abelmoschus moschatus Medik., Malvenfam. 46 1787. (Syn: Abelmoschus betulifolia Wall. ..; Hibiscus abelmoschus L. ..);.

Common names: Musk mallow, Ambrette plant

Hindi, Beng & Guj: Muskdana
Mar: Kasturi-bhenda
Mal: Kattukasturi
Assam: Gorukhia-korai
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Herb or undershrub up to 2.5 m tall, hispid to prickly; leaves orbicular or broadly ovate, 3-7 lobed, up to 30 cm long, stipules linear; flowers axillary, pedicel up to 8 cm long, epicalyx segments 6-10, up to 20 mm long; calyx up to 3.5 cm long; corolla 10 cm across, yellow with deep purple spot at base of each petal; capsule 5-8 cm long, ovoid or fusiform, densely hispid.
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Seeds used as stimulant and carminative, the musk seed oil or ambrette seed oil used in perfumery, flowers used for flavouring tobacco; tender leaves eaten in soups.
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India: Throughout up to 1500 m; Bangladesh, China, Indo-china, Thailand, Maiesia (Malaya Peninsula, Indonesia) and Fiji Islands as per BSI Flora of India
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Abelmoschus moschutas:
Abelmoschus moschutas
Common name: Kasturbhendi, Muskdana
Seed odours like Musk



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Malvaceae Week: Abelmoschus moschatus from Delhi:  Abelmoschus moschatus Medic., Malv. 46. 1787
syn: Hibiscus abelmoschus Linn.
Common names: Musk mallow, Ambrette plant
Hindi, Beng & Guj: Muskdana
Mar: Kasturi-bhenda
Mal: Kattukasturi
Assam: Gorukhia-korai
Herb or undershrub up to 2.5 m tall, hispid to prickly; leaves orbicular or broadly ovate, 3-7 lobed, up to 30 cm long, stipules linear; flowers axillary, pedicel up to 8 cm long, epicalyx segments 6-10, up to 20 mm long; calyx up to 3.5 cm long; corolla 10 cm across, yellow with deep purple spot at base of each petal; capsule 5-8 cm long, ovoid or fusiform, densely hispid.
Seeds used as stimulant and carminative, the musk seed oil or ambrette seed oil used in perfumery, flowers used for flavouring tobacco; tender leaves eaten in soups.
Grown in Herbal Garden, Punjabi Bagh and Herbal Garden of Hamdard University, both in Delhi

I have to ask one question. Do you people while going out always carry a camera with you?


Yes … Most of the times it is in the car. These days I carry newly bought Pansonic lumix, DMC ZS3 with 10 mp 12 x camera in pocket to take photographs of plants if necessary.
I use Sony alpha DSLR for close ups.


Same here, i always carry my Canon powershot IS 30 in my bag. There are 3 different ways to go to my college. 16 KM long, 22 KM long and 24 Km long.
i generally go by each way 2 days in a week and on sundays 3-4 hours visit to different areas of Panipat district.


I carry my Sony dsc-h5 always… for street scenes,  flowers, trees, interesting stuff whatever…. this ia prosumer…comparatively bulky,   yet much lighter than dslrs ….  isn’t digital age handy?  Although I must
admit I was late to convert…


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Malvaceae Fortnight: Abelmoschus moschatus from Delhi-GSJULY01/01 : 2 posts by 2 authors. Attachments (2)
Abelmoschus moschatus Medic., Malv. 46. 1787
syn: Hibiscus abelmoschus Linn.
 
Common names: Musk mallow, Ambrette plant
Hindi, Beng & Guj: Muskdana
Mar: Kasturi-bhenda
Mal: Kattukasturi
Assam: Gorukhia-korai
Herb or undershrub up to 2.5 m tall, hispid to prickly; leaves orbicular or broadly ovate, 3-7 lobed, up to 30 cm long, stipules linear; flowers axillary, pedicel up to 8 cm long, epicalyx segments 6-10, up to 20 mm long; calyx up to 3.5 cm long; corolla 10 cm across, yellow with deep purple spot at base of each petal; capsule 5-8 cm long, ovoid or fusiform, densely hispid.
Seeds used as stimulant and carminative, the musk seed oil or ambrette seed oil used in perfumery, flowers used for flavouring tobacco; tender leaves eaten in soups.

Grown in Herbal Garden, Punjabi Bagh and Herbal Garden of Hamdard University, both in Delhi



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ANAUG18 Malvaceae herb for ID- Abelmoschus sp.?  : 3 posts by 2 authors. Attachments (5).

Flowers large, measuring almost 5.5 inches in diameter.
Epicalyx segments 8-10
Makalidurga
July 2014


The plant is Abelmosches manihot


I request to reconsider this species, since it has filiform epicalyx lobes.


Can’t be Abelmoschus manihot, in which epicalyx are not more than 6, and much broader. It may be A. moschata.


Many thanks to … for reconsidering the post. Attachments (2)


Thank you very much sir, It does seem to match with characters and links given in http://florakarnataka.ces.iisc.ernet.in/hjcb2/herbsheet.php?id=2821&cat=1


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Plant for ID : 3 posts by 3 authors. Attachments (1) – 1 MB

This is growing on our terrace. Not source about the source of the seed. Would like to know if it is edible Okra?


Abelmoschus species in eFloraofindia (with details/ keys from published papers/ regional floras/ FRLHT/ FOI/ Biotik/ efloras/ books etc., where ever available) 


It’s hard to decide. in addition to short capsule, significantly longer pedicel and beaked capsule suggest Abelmoschus moschatus Medik.



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ID : Hibiscus from guwahati sp. from:  Are attached images Hibiscus tetraphylla or Abelmoschus esculentus ? Please ID for this species.
Date :08/10/2012
Location: Maligaon, Guwahati-11 [Dist- Kamrup(Metro)]
Habitat: Grows on waste places
Habit :shrub
Leaf : 5-lobed
Flower : Flower bud seen,large, yellow in colour

Fruits : seen


I hope Abelmoschus sagittifolius

Check for fleshy root.


To me it is either Abelmoschus manihot or Abelmoschus moschatus. In case of Abelmoschus moschatus, the dry seeds on rubbing emits smell of musk (that’s why it is known as MUSK MALLOW ). … can try the seeds. I did it myself at Tezpur (assam),in 2001-2002, and it works. In case there is no smell of musk from the rubbed seeds, the species is likely to be Abelmoschus manihot


Abelmoschus manihot is out of race because it has only 4-5 epicalyx lobes which are very broad (4-5 mm broad). Here atleast six can be counted and they are linear. A. moschatus and A. sagittifolius are very closely related (and sometimes treated synonyms), differing in 5-7 lobed leaves in former and 3-5 lobed and sagitate in latter. Also plants are hispid in former, simply pubescent in latter, except epicalyx, and root swollen in latter. It fits more with latter.


After getting the information I had gone to the site and collected the fruit and seed but couldn’t dig out the root. When I observed and rubbing the dry seed as you said, I got the same result. I also found same observations about the seed as described in the Flora of China i.e. seeds are black-brown, reniform, concentrically ribbed, with musk smell. 


This Abelmoschus, a tall one, was also seen planted in one of the herbal gardens of Dr. YS Parmar Univ. of Hort. and Forestry, Nauni, Solan..

Your views on specific id..


Abelmoschus species in eFloraofindia (with details/ keys from published papers/ regional floras/ FRLHT/ FOI/ Biotik/ efloras/ books etc., where ever available on net)  


Please provide plant height, number of epicalyx segments, mature fruit length so that specific identity can be confirmed. My guess is Abelmoschus moschatus Medik.




Hooghly : 12-04-2021 : Abelmoschus moschatus Medik. ?:
A roadside vendor was selling this species along with other plant species.
It was hardly a foot tall when I took these two photographs in October ’20.


For me the ID looks good.


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Malvaceae: Abelmoschus moschatus Medik.: 1 image.
location/date: Tropical Forest Research Institute, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, October 1994



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References: