Edible Parts: Flowers  Leaves  Oil  Oil  Root  Seed
Edible Uses: Condiment  Oil  Oil

Young leaves - cooked[74, 105, 177]. Used as a potherb or added to soups[183]. The leaves have an acid flavour like sorrel[2]. Seed - roasted or ground into a flour and made into a kind of cake[105, 177, 183]. Root - it is edible but very fibrousy[144]. Mucilaginous, without very much flavour[144]. An edible oil is obtained from the seed[61, 183]. The yield varies from 2 - 10 tonnes per hectare[74] (or is it per acre?).

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Antibilious  Aphrodisiac  Dysentery  Poultice  Purgative

The juice of the flowers, mixed with sugar and black pepper, is used in the treatment of biliousness with acidity[240]. The seeds are aphrodisiac[240]. They are added to the diet in order to promote weight increase[240]. Externally, they are used as a poultice on pains and bruises[240]. The leaves are purgative[240]. An infusion of the leaves is used in the treatment of coughs[269]. In Ayurvedic medicine, the leaves are used in the treatment of dysentery and bilious, blood and throat disorders. The powdered leaves are applied to Guinea worms in Africa[269]. The peelings from the stems have been used in the treatment of anaemia, fatigue, lassitude, etc[269].

Dye  Fibre  Friction sticks  Oil  Oil  Paper  Plant support  Soap making  Soil reclamation  String

Agroforestry Uses: Kenaf plants accumulate minerals such as selenium and boron, and can be used as a bioremedial tool for removing these metals from contaminated soil[299, 1519] .Yields a fibre from the stem[1, 123], a very good jute substitute though it is a bit coarser[61]. The fibre strands, which are 1.5 - 3 metres long, are used for making rope, cordage, canvas, sacking, carpet backing, nets, table cloths etc[74, 123, 269]. For the best quality fibre, the stems should be harvested shortly after the flowers open[171, 269]. The best fibre is at the base of the stems, so hand pulling is often recommended over machine harvesting[269]. Yields of about 1.25 tonnes of fibre per hectare are average, though 2.7 tonnes has been achieved in Cuba[74, 269]. The pulp from the stems has been used in making paper[269]. The seed contains between 18 and 35% of an edible semi-drying oil[61, 74]. It is rather similar to groundnut oil, obtained from Arachis hypogaea[240]. The oil is also used for burning, as a lubricant and in making soap, linoleum, paints and varnishes[46, 61, 74, 269]. The seed yield varies from 2 to 10 tonnes per acre[74] (or is it per hectare?). The stems have been used as plant supports for growing runner beans etc[269]. The soot from the stems has been used as a black pigment in dyes[269]. The stem has been used as a base for drilling fire[269].

Special Uses

Food Forest