Hibiscus sabdariffa

HIBISCUS SABDARIFFA
Name
Institution

Abstract
Also known as the Rosell, the Hibiscus Sabdariffa, is an important plant, to many people all over the globe. Indeed, its uses vary from one community to another and also its variety will matter too. Considered to be a nutritious dish by many, its leaves and fruits known as the calyx are edible and have been confirmed by experts to be rich in various nutrients. Furthermore, its medicinal benefits are rivaled by few other plants, while some types of Rosell are renowned for their tough fiber, known as jute. This paper seeks to explore the origins of the Sabdariffa plant, its varieties, and the various names it is identified by. In addition, the research will note the plant’s evolutionary timeline and the various conditions favorable for its growth. Finally, the paper will identify the various economic and nutritional benefits to mankind and the society as a whole that are gained from Roselle’s cultivation.
Introduction
The hibiscus sabdariffa is a West African plant which has been noted to contain significant health and economic benefits (Babatunde & Mofoke, 2006). The plant has two types, one of which H. sabdariffa var altissima Wester is grown as a cash crop, due to its economic value. It is grown in Nigeria, the West Indies and some parts of the South American tropics for the harvesting of its fiber, also known as jute. This particular variety is identified by its red or green stem and with leaves that are often green.

More so, this type of Rosell is not edible due to its non-fleshy calyces that cannot be eaten. Often confused with fiber producing Kenaf, but this is grown more widely.
The other strain is the H. sabdariffa var. sabdariffa of the race ruber which is a small bush which is cultivated for its edible calyces and along with its ability to produce jute. Furthermore, the Rosell has been noted for its health benefits. This particular variety is known by many vernacular names, due to its popularity in the tropics worldwide. In English-speaking regions, the bushy plant is called the Roselle, red sorrel, Jamaican sorrel, Indian sorrel, and Florida cranberry among plenty other names. In French, it is known as the oseille Rouge, in Spanish, quimbombó chino, agria, agrio de Guinea, and viñuela. These names identify it in the pharmaceutical and food-flavoring businesses all over Europe (Babatunde & Mofoke, 2006). Furthermore, all over the world, from, Hawaii to North Africa, the plant is known by many different names due to the various uses in which it’s employed.
“Roselle” is “native from the West Africa,” where it is widely grown, and transported to the “West Indies” by the slave trade and the Saharan Spices trade routes. Due to this, the plant is widely distributed through the “Tropics and Subtropics of both hemispheres,” and over time, the plant has become “naturalized” to the “West Indies” and American tropics in countries such as Jamaica and Brazil. In 1576, Flemish botanist, “L’Obel,” had a publication on the observations of the plant, while in Java, natives were noted to consume its leaves during the 1600s. Seeds are thought to have been carried to the Americas by slaves taken from the West African coasts and grown in Brazil and Jamaica after that in the 18th century. Furthermore, there were attempts to establish Roselle jams in Australia and by 1899, there were dried Roselle calyces being sold in Guadalajara Mexico (Wood & Done, 1983). In the USA, the “California State Agricultural Experiment Station” got seeds from a tourist from Australia, and this was the plant’s introduction into its soil.
The plant grows annually, flowering between Aug and October, and with seeds ripening from Oct to November. More so, the flowers are hermaphrodite, and pollination is assisted by insects such as bees (Wood & Done, 1983). The height of the plant will vary regarding its variety for instance; the ‘Rico’ is relatively low-growing, with simple leaves that are lobbed in mainly three parts. Its flowers have dark-red eye along with golden-yellow pollen. The “rico” variety produces calyx that is about “2 inches long and 1 1/4 inches wide” with bracts that are “plump and stiffly horizontal.” This type is highly favored due to its “high yield of calyces per plant.” Its juice, calyx preservers, and herbage are colored rich-red.
The other variety named the “Victor” is a “superior selection” grown first in 1906 from seedlings at the “Subtropical Garden in Miami.” The plant can grow to about 7 feet, and it in noticeably more erect and robust. With flowering similar to the ‘rico,’ its flower has a dark-red eye with golden-brown pollen too (Tsai, McIntosh, Pearce, Camden & Jordan, 2002). However it blooms quite earlier than ‘Rico’ producing calyces just as long as the ‘Rico’ variety but they are more slender with a more pointed apex, bracts are longer and thinner too, with its juice and preserves being colored a rich-red.
Finally, the ‘Archer’ also known as “white sorrel” is the variety that resulted “from the seed sent to Wester by A.S. Archer from the Antiguan Islands.” It genealogy points it to be of the albus race. The plant is similarly tall and robust as the ‘Victor’ strains but different with its green stems. The main difference, however, is in the flower that is yellow and having a deeper yellow eye with pale-brown pollen (Mahadevan, Shivali & Kamboj, 2009). The calyx it produces is of a “green or greenish-white color,” and it is “visibly smaller than in the two previous varieties.” However, its “yield per plant” is greater in comparison with its juice and other extracts being “nearly colorless to amber.” The ‘Archer’ type is mostly cultivated “throughout Senegal, but especially in the Cape Verde region,” mostly for consumption as a “vegetable.”
The Roselle plant prefers moist loamy and heavy clay soils that are well-drained, but it will quickly germinate in many other soils. However it does not thrive in weeds, and it grows best in an acidic ph., which contributes to its bittersweet taste. More so, it needs strong direct sunlight for proper growth, often failing in cold and shady environments. It can withstand flooding, heavy winds or stagnant water. Roselle is reported to be tolerant to an annual precipitation of about 64 to 429cm with a yearly temperature in the range of 12.5 to 27.5°C (El-Meleigy, 1989). In many cases depending on the strain, the seeds will often flower within a year of germination. Roselle plants are quite sensitive to daylight hours, and they may fail to bloom if they are exposed to 13 hours of light per 24-hour cycle (Crane, 1943). However, the plants are highly susceptible to damage by frost and foggy conditions.
The Roselle is grown in the Tropical and Sub-tropical regions for its strong fiber and edible calyx that are harvested at maturity, while still tender allowing them to be easily snapped off by hand. Early in the morning is when harvesting takes place when the “fruit” is still delicate in comparison with later in the day. Furthermore, the Roselle fruits can be easily prepared by washing, cutting “around the tough base of the calyx” just under the bracts and it’s removed with the “seed capsule” still attached. The “calyces” are then put to multiple uses conditioned on the location. For instance in Africa, they are often eaten as a side dish along with pulverized peanuts. Additionally, the fruit is used to prepare jams and jellies, jam fillings or eaten by itself. Another favorite use for the plant is an addition of its fruit and leaves in herbal tea to make infusions that are noted for their potent medicinal effects, in curing hypertension, colds stomach aches, and many other illnesses (Ahmed, 1980). Finally, the plant has been praised for its ability to prevent and cure heart-related conditions with the effectiveness of synthetic drugs.
Reference
Ahmed, A. W. K. (1980). Karkade (Hibiscus Sabdariffa L.) seed as new oilseed and a source of edible oil. University of Reading.
“Biological characteristics, nutritional and medicinal values of Roselle, Hibiscus Sabdariffa.”(2005). Baton Rouge, LA: Southern University A & M System, Agricultural Research, and Extension Center.
Crane, J. C. (1943). “Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) as a fiber crop.” Washington, D.C.? Division of Latin American Agriculture.
El-Meleigy, S. (1989). Physiological studies on Roselle plant Hibiscus sabdariffa L (Doctoral dissertation, Ph. D., Animal Shams University)
F.E. Babatunde & A.L.E. Mofoke. (2006). “Performance of Roselle (<i>Hibiscus sabdariffa</i> L) as Influenced by Irrigation Schedules.” Asian Network for Scientific Information.
Mahadevan, N., Shivali, K. P., & Kamboj, P. (2009). Hibiscus sabdariffa Linn-an overview. Natural product radiance, 8(1), 77-83
Tsai, P. J., McIntosh, J., Pearce, P., Camden, B., & Jordan, B. R. (2002). “Anthocyanin & antioxidant capacity in Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) extract.” “Food Research International”, 35(4), 351-356.
Wood, I. M., & Done, A. C. (1983). Botanical, morphological and agronomic characteristics of Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa) CSIRO, Brisbane. Brisbane: Division of Tropical Crops and Pastures, CSIRO.