Corchorus capsularis
| Corchorus capsularis | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 10 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 11' |
| Speed: | Fast |
| Blooms: | Late Summer |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Corchorus capsularis (common name: jute)
Propagation: Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in late spring, after the last expected frosts[1].
In areas with hot summers it should be possible to sow the seed in situ in mid spring.
Cultivation: Prefers a very fertile soil and a hot humid climate[2]. Tolerates very wet conditions according to one report[3] whilst another says that it does not tolerate waterlogged soils[2]. Tolerates a pH in the range 5.1 to 6.8.
Jute is sometimes cultivated for the fibre in its stem and also for its edible leaves[4]. It makes an excellent spinach substitute in areas with hot summers[4]. This species is not hardy in Britain but it can be grown as a half-hardy annual here, though it grows much better in areas that are warmer than typical summers in this country[5].
Some reports say that this plant is an annual whilst one says that it is perennial. Since the plant is not hardy in Britain we can only grow it as an annual.
This species is very closely related to C. olitorius.
Range: E. Asia - China.
Habitat: Original habitat is obscure.
Edibility: Leaves - raw or cooked[6][7][5][8][9]. Young leaves are added to salads whilst older leaves are cooked as a pot-herb[7][4][10]. High in protein. The dried leaves can be used as a thickener in soups[4].
A tea is made from the dried leaves[4].
Immature fruits are added to salads or used as a potherb.
Medicinal: The leaves are appetizer, carminative, demulcent, laxative, stimulant and stomachic[11]. An infusion is used in the treatment of dysentery, fevers, dyspepsia and liver disorders[11].
A decoction of the roots and unripe fruits is used in the treatment of dysentery[11].
The seeds contain a substance that has a similar action on the heart to digitalin (from Digitalis spp.), but less intense in its action[11].
Usage: A fibre is obtained from the stems, it is the main source of jute[8][9][1]. The fibre is somewhat coarse and is used mainly for sackcloth etc[3]. The stems are harvested when the plant is in flower and are then retted (allowed to begin to rot) so that the fibre can be extracted[12]. This species tends to branch making fibre extraction more difficult[13]. Growing the plants very close together will prevent some of the branching. If used in making paper, the fibres are cooked for 2 hours with lye and then ball milled for 4½ hours. The paper is grey/buff[14].
The very light and soft wood is used in making sulphur matches[15].
Pollinators: Insects
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Seed Ripens: Mid Fall
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Buchanan, Rita. A Weavers Garden.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Schery. Robert. Plants for Man. Prentice Hall, 1972.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Vilmorin-Andrieux. The Vegetable Garden. Ten Speed Press.
- ↑ Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Hedrick, Ulysses. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications, 1972.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.
- ↑ Manandhar, Narayan. Plants and People of Nepal. Timber Press, 2002.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 Chopra, R. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants. Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi, 1986.
- ↑ Hill, Albert. Economic Botany. The Maple Press, 1952.
- ↑ Chakravarty, Hiralal. The Plant Wealth of Iraq. 1976.
- ↑ Bell, Lilian. Plant Fibres for Papermaking. Liliaceae Press, 1988.
- ↑ Gupta, Basant. Forest Flora of Chakrata, Dehra Dun and Saharanpur. Forest Research Institute Press, 1945.