Jute mallow

Description

Jute mallow or nalta jute (Corchorus olitorius, also known as "Jew's mallow","tossa jute", "bush okra", "krinkrin", "etinyung", "Mulukhiyah", and "West African sorrel", among many other local names, often invoking the most important traits) is a species of shrub in the family Malvaceae. Together with C. capsularis it is the primary source of jute fiber. The leaves and young fruits are used as a vegetable, the dried leaves are used for tea and as a soup thickener, and the seeds are edible. It is unclear whether Corchorus olitorius originated in Africa or in Asia. Some authorities consider that it comes from the Indo-Burmese area or from India, along with several other related species. Others point out that there is a greater genetic variation in Africa and a larger number of wild species in the genus Corchorus. Wherever it originated, it has been under cultivation for a very long time in both continents and probably grows, wild or as a crop, in every country in tropical Africa. In classical antiquity, Pliny recorded that jute plants were used as food in Ancient Egypt.It may have also been cultivated by the Jews in the Near East, which gives the plant its name.