Abelmosk facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Abelmosk
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Malvales
Family:	Malvaceae
Genus:	Abelmoschus
Species:	A. moschatus
Binomial name
Abelmoschus moschatus Medik.
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Synonyms
List Abelmoschus abelmoschus (L.) H.Karst. nom. inval. Abelmoschus betulifolia Wall. Abelmoschus chinensis Wall. Abelmoschus ciliaris Walp. Abelmoschus cryptocarpus Walp. Abelmoschus cubensis Walp. Abelmoschus cucurbitaceus Walp. Abelmoschus haenkeanus C.Presl Abelmoschus marianus C.Presl Abelmoschus palustris Walp. Abelmoschus pseudoabelmoschus (Blume) Walp. Abelmoschus roseus Walp. Abelmoschus sublobatus C.Presl Hibiscus abelmoschus L. Hibiscus collinsianus Nutt. ex Torr. & A. Gray Hibiscus moschatus (Medik.) Salisb.

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Abelmoschus moschatus is a special plant known by many names like Abelmosk, ambrette, and musk mallow. It's a fragrant plant that can also be used as medicine. It belongs to the Malvaceae family, which also includes plants like hibiscus and cotton. This plant originally comes from parts of Asia and Australia.

What Makes It Special?

The seeds of the Abelmoschus moschatus plant have a lovely, strong smell. It's a bit sweet and flowery, very much like musk. This is why its scientific name, moschatus, means 'musk' in Latin!

Even though this plant grows in warm, tropical places, it's quite tough. It can even survive a bit of frost, which is unusual for a tropical plant.

How People Use This Plant

A close-up of the Abelmoschus moschatus plant.

This amazing plant has many different uses!

For Perfumes

The oil from musk mallow seeds used to be a popular choice for making perfumes. It was a good way to get a musky scent without using animal musk. However, this oil was very expensive. Today, most perfumes use man-made (synthetic) musk smells instead.

In the Kitchen

Many parts of the Abelmoschus moschatus plant can be eaten!

• The seeds are sometimes added to coffee to give it a special flavor.
• The young, unripe pods, which are sometimes called "musk okra," can be cooked and eaten as vegetables.
• The leaves and new shoots of the plant are also eaten as vegetables.

Other Cool Uses

• In factories, a slimy substance called mucilage from the plant's roots is used. It helps make paper stronger and smoother. This process is called sizing.
• The flowers of the plant are sometimes used to add flavor to tobacco.

See also

In Spanish: Hibisco para niños