Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench

Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) is an erect annual herb up to 1.8 meters tall of the Malvaceae family, believed to be native to Ethiopia and Sudan, now widely cultivated in India, West Africa, and Latin America. Its mucilaginous fruit is rich in polyphenols and commonly cooked as a nutritious vegetable, while its stem fiber is used to make hemp and textiles. Traditionally, okra is also believed to help control blood sugar levels and ease hemorrhoids.

Grows well in humid tropical lowlands at temperatures of 20-30 °C, pH 6-6.7, favoring humus-rich soil. This plant is tolerant of varying rainfall.
 

• Roots deep taproot.
• Stem erect, round, watery (succulent), finely hairy, with little branching.
• Leaves spirally arranged, petiole up to 50 cm long, stipules extending up to 2 cm, often split down to the base.
• Flowers solitary, cylindrical to pyramidal capsule shape, emerging from the leaf axils or in pseudo-clusters, yellow, with a dark purple center.
• Fruit green, greenish-purple, or purple when young, turning brownish when ripe.
• Seeds round, blackish, 3-6 mm in diameter. 

• Propagated by seed. Seeds are taken from mature fruit, then sown 2-3 seeds per polybag.
• Once the plant reaches a height of 15-20 cm, seedlings are transplanted to the field.

Tannins, steroids, flavonoids, saponins, alkaloids, anthraquinones, phenols, terpenoids, cardiac glycosides, resin, palmitic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid.

Treats wounds, boils, syphilis, heart disease, and neurological disorders; eases hemorrhoids; controls blood sugar levels; has antioxidant, diuretic, and anticancer activity; addresses dandruff; relieves pain.
 

• Prepare fresh seeds from mature okra fruit. Wash thoroughly under running water, drain.
• Dry the okra seeds using an oven at 60 °C for 72 hours.
• Grind the dried material into a powder.
• Store in an airtight container/plastic bag.

 Kacang bindi, Okro, Gumbo (Central Java), Termemes (Jogja), Kopi londo (Java).