Brazil Jute is a coarse, erect, simple or branched, annual herb 0.5-2 m
high, which is covered with hairs. The leaves are circular, 5-15 cm in
diameter, obscurely and shallowly lobed, finely toothed, and somewhat
heart-shaped at the base. The flowers are borne in axillary and terminal
heads. Sepals are short, and slenderly pointed at the tip. The
petals are yellow, overlapping, and about 1 cm long. The bast (inner fibrous
bark) is strong and is used in the manufacture of rope. The fiber is
excellent, 8-9 feet long, and that experts have declared it little, if at
all, inferior to jute. Brazil Jute is native to Tropical America, cultivated
and naturalized elsewhere.
Medicinal uses: The leaves and flowers are official in
Venezuelan Pharmacopoea. According to Guerrero, the root and leaves, used
in decoction, are considered emollient in enemas and for bathing purposes.
Identification credit: Dinesh Valke
Photographed at Thane, Maharashtra.
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The flower labeled Brazil Jute is ...