Abelmoschus moschatus Medik.

 
  • Family : MALVACEAE
    (Mallow Or Hibiscus Family)
  • Family (Hindi name) : GURHAL FAMILY (गुड़हल फैमिली)
  • Family (as per The APG System III) : Malvaceae
  • Synonym(s) : Abelmoschus abelmoschus (L.) H.Karst.; Abelmoschus betulifolia Wall.; Abelmoschus chinensis Wall.; Abelmoschus ciliaris (C.Presl) Walp.; Abelmoschus cubensis Walp.; Abelmoschus cucurbitaceus Walp.; Abelmoschus haenkeanus C.Presl; Abelmoschus lanyunatus (S.S.Ying) S.S.Ying; Abelmoschus magnificus Wall.; Abelmoschus marianus C.Presl; Abelmoschus moschatus var. betulifolius (Mast.) Hochr.; Abelmoschus moschatus var. lanyunatus S.S.Ying; Abelmoschus moschatus var. multiformis (Mast.) Hochr.; Abelmoschus palustris Walp.; Abelmoschus roseus Walp.; Abelmoschus sublobatus C.Presl; Hibiscus abelmoschus L.; Hibiscus abelmoschus var. betulifolius Mast.; Hibiscus abelmoschus var. genuinus Hochr.; Hibiscus abelmoschus var. multiformis Mast.; Hibiscus cardiophyllus Baill.; Hibiscus ciliaris C.Presl; Hibiscus flavescens Cav.; Hibiscus haenkeanus (C.Presl) Fern.-Vill.; Hibiscus moschatus (Medik.) Salisb.; Hibiscus multiformis Steud.; Hibiscus pseudabelmoschus Blume; Hibiscus ricinifolius Wall.; Hibiscus roxburghii Steud.; Hibiscus sublobatus (C.Presl) Hochr.
  • Species Name (as per The IPNI) : Abelmoschus moschatus Medik.
  • Common name : Musk Mallow, Ambrette, Vegetable Musk, Muskseed
  • Vernacular name :
    • Mask dhana, Latakasthuri (Hindi)
    • Kasthuri bende (Kannada)
    • Vertilai Kasthuri, Kaattu kasthuri (Tamil)
    • Kasthuri bende (Telugu)
    • Banobhindi (Oria)
    • Latakasturika (Sanskrit)
    • Kasturi-bhendi (Marathi)
    • Kattukasthusri, Kasthurivenda, Lathakasthuri (Malayalam)
  • Habit : Shrub
  • Habitat : Rocky areas in Tropical moist deciduous forests, also in the plains. Usually along tidal streams where the fresh and sea-water meet
  • Comments / notes : Occasional deciduous forests. Seed oil is used as an adulterant for musk & perfume. Sometimes cultivated for seeds
  • Key identification features : A shrub 6-8 feet high, the branchlets, leaves and other parts covered with stiff hairs. Leaves orbicular, about 5 lobed, the margins coarsely serrate. Flowers light yellow with a dark purple centre.
  • Flower, Fruit : July-December
  • Collector(s) Name : H.O Saxena and N.K Dhal
  • Collection Date : 21/11/91
  • Collection Nos : 7526
  • Collection Locality : Karlapar, Kalahandi
  • Distribution :
    • Andhra Pradesh : Kurnool district
    • Karnataka : Davanagare district, Hassan district, Mysuru district, Tumakuru district, Udupi district
    • Kerala : Wayanad district, Kozhikode district, Malappuram district, Palakkad district, Thrissur district, Ernakulam district, Idukki district, Kottayam district, Alappuzha district, Pathanamthitta district, Thiruvananthapuram district
    • Maharashtra : Maharashtra
    • Odisha : Kalhandi district
    • Tamil Nadu : Coimbatore district, Madurai district, The Nilgiri district
    • Andaman and Nicobar Islands : North and Middle Andaman,South Andaman, Long & Baratang Islands
  • Native : Bangladesh, Borneo, Cambodia, China South-Central, China Southeast, Hainan, India, Jawa, Laos, Lesser Sunda Is., Malaya, Maluku, Myanmar, New Guinea, Philippines, Sulawesi, Sumatera, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam
  • Exotic/Native : Native
  • World Distribution : Aldabra, Andaman Is., Angola, Belize, Benin, Burkina, Cabinda, Cameroon, Cook Is., Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Fiji, Ghana, Guatemala, Guinea, Gulf of Guinea Is., Haiti, Honduras, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Kazan-retto, Leeward Is., Liberia, Maldives, Marianas, Mauritania, Mexico Central, Mexico Southwest, Nansei-shoto, New Caledonia, Nigeria, Niue, Ogasawara-shoto, Peru, Puerto Rico, Samoa, Santa Cruz Is., Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Society Is., Solomon Is., Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Tonga, Trinidad-Tobago, Tubuai Is., Vanuatu, Venezuela, Wallis-Futuna Is., Windward Is., Zaïre
  • Conservation Status : Not Evaluated (NE)
  • Literature :
    • Pullaiah et al., 2002 - Flora of Eastern Ghats Vol. 1
    • J.L.Ellis, 1987- Flora of Nallamalais Vol. 1
    • H.O. Saxena & M. Brahmam, 1994- Flora of Orissa Vol. 1
    • Henry, Kumari & Chithra (1983). Flora of Tamil Nadu, India vol. 1
    • Sasidharan, N. 2011. Flowering plants of Kerala. DVD, V 2, KFRI
    • Saldanha, 1984
    • Rao & Razi, 1981 - Mysore
    • Gopalakrishna Bhat, 2003 - Udupi
    • Manjunath et al., 2003 – Davanagere
    • N.P. Sing & S. Karthikeyan 2000. Flora of Maharastra vol 1. Botanical survey of India, Govt. India.
    • Parkinson, C.E. 1923. A Forest Flora of the Andaman Islands, Govt. of India, Shimla
    • 96
  • Read more :
  • Citation : Sankara Rao, K., Deepak Kumar (2024). India Flora Online. http://indiafloraonline-ces.iisc.ac.in/plants.php?name=Abelmoschus moschatus. Downloaded on 2 May 2024.

Botanical Description

Herbarium Specimen(s)

Line Drawings

Field Image(s)

India Distribution

World Distribution
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