Corchorus olitorius
L., Sp. Pl. 529. 1753; Masters in Fl. Brit. India 1: 397. 1874.
C. Roxb., Fl. Ind. 2: 582. 1832.
Beng.: Bogi, Koshta, Mithapat, Pat, Jute; Guj.: Chehuncho; Hindi: Changhas, Rajaan,
Sonpat; Kan.: Senabu; Mar.: Chunch, Motichunch; Or.: Jhoto, Kaunria; Sans.: Brihatchanchu, Dirghupatri, Divyagandha, Kalasa; Tam.: Peratti, Punaku; Tel.: Parinta, Parintakura; Eng.: Tossa Jute, Jew's mallow.
Herbs, annual or biennial with a woody base, erect, stout, branched, up to 1.5 m high, glabrous to subglabrous. Leaves 4 - 15 x 3 - 5 cm, lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, slightly rounded at base, acute at apex, serrate, basal most serrations prolonged into filiform processes, glabrous except sparsely hairy nerves, 3 - 5-nerved; petioles 2 - 3 cm long, pubescent; stipules 8 - 12 cm long, subulate, glabrous. Flowers 1 or 2, in leaf-opposed, shortly pedunculate cymes, subsessile, 12 - 15 mm across; bracts 4 - 5 mm long, subulate. Sepals 5 - 7 mm long, linear-oblong, apiculate. Petals yellow, 5 - 7 mm long, oblong-spathulate, obtuse. Stamens many, somewhat united at base. Carpels 5; ovary cylindric, sparsely hairy, 5-loculed; style short; stigma 5-lobed, minutely papillate. Capsules 1 or 2 together, 2 - 7 cm long, subcylindric, 10-ribbed, glabrous, 5-loculed; locules septate between seeds; beak entire, 4 - 8 mm long. Seeds ca 2 x 1.5 mm, trigonous, inconspicuously verrucose, black.
Fl. & Fr. July - Jan.
Distrib. India: Throughout. Often found in moist situations.
PantropicaI.
Herbs, annual or biennial with a woody base, erect, stout, branched, up to 1.5 m high, glabrous to subglabrous. Leaves 4 - 15 x 3 - 5 cm, lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, slightly rounded at base, acute at apex, serrate, basal most serrations prolonged into filiform processes, glabrous except sparsely hairy nerves, 3 - 5-nerved; petioles 2 - 3 cm long, pubescent; stipules 8 - 12 cm long, subulate, glabrous. Flowers 1 or 2, in leaf-opposed, shortly pedunculate cymes, subsessile, 12 - 15 mm across; bracts 4 - 5 mm long, subulate. Sepals 5 - 7 mm long, linear-oblong, apiculate. Petals yellow, 5 - 7 mm long, oblong-spathulate, obtuse. Stamens many, somewhat united at base. Carpels 5; ovary cylindric, sparsely hairy, 5-loculed; style short; stigma 5-lobed, minutely papillate. Capsules 1 or 2 together, 2 - 7 cm long, subcylindric, 10-ribbed, glabrous, 5-loculed; locules septate between seeds; beak entire, 4 - 8 mm long. Seeds ca 2 x 1.5 mm, trigonous, inconspicuously verrucose, black.
Fl. & Fr. July - Jan.
Distrib. India: Throughout. Often found in moist situations.
PantropicaI.
