?Okra
Okra leaves, flower buds and young fruit
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Malvales Family: Malvaceae Genus: Abelmoschus Species: A. esculentus
Binomial name
Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench

Okra, or lady's finger is a flowering plant in the mallow family Malvaceae, originating somewhere near present-day Ethiopia. It was formerly considered a species of Hibiscus, but is now classified in the genus Abelmoschus. The word okra is of African origin and means "lady's fingers" in Igbo, a language spoken in what is now known as Nigeria. Image File history File links Abelmoschus esculentus - USDA photo [1] File links The following pages link to this file: Okra Abelmoschus ... Scientific classification or biological classification is how biologists group and categorize extinct and living species of organisms (as opposed to folk taxonomy). ... Divisions Green algae Chlorophyta Charophyta Land plants (embryophytes) Non-vascular plants (bryophytes) Marchantiophyta - liverworts Anthocerotophyta - hornworts Bryophyta - mosses Vascular plants (tracheophytes) Lycopodiophyta - clubmosses Equisetophyta - horsetails Pteridophyta - true ferns Psilotophyta - whisk ferns Ophioglossophyta - adderstongues Seed plants (spermatophytes) †Pteridospermatophyta - seed ferns Pinophyta - conifers Cycadophyta - cycads Ginkgophyta - ginkgo Gnetophyta - gnetae Magnoliophyta - flowering plants... Classes Magnoliopsida- Dicots Liliopsida- Monocots The flowering plants (also called angiosperms) are a major group of land plants. ... Magnoliopsida is the botanical name for a class: this name is formed by replacing the termination -aceae in the name Magnoliaceae by the termination -opsida (Art 16 of the ICBN). ... Families Malvaceae (mallows,...) Dipterocarpaceae Sarcolaenaceae Cistaceae Muntingiaceae Bixaceae Diegodendraceae Cochlospermaceae Sphaerosepalaceae Thymelaeaceae Neuradaceae The Malvales are an order of flowering plants, mostly comprised of shrubs and trees. ... Subfamilies Bombacoideae Brownlowioideae Byttnerioideae Dombeyoideae Grewioideae Helicteroideae Malvoideae Sterculioideae Tilioideae Malvaceae is family of flowering plants containing Malva, the mallow genus, and its relatives. ... Species See text Abelmoschus is a genus of about 15 species of flowering plants in the mallow family Malvaceae, native to tropical Africa. ... In biology, binomial nomenclature is the formal method of naming species. ... Carolus Linnaeus Carl Linnaeus, also known after his ennoblement as , (May 23, 1707 – January 10, 1778), was a Swedish botanist, physician and zoologist[1] who laid the foundations for the modern scheme of nomenclature. ... Conrad Moench (1744-1805) was a German botanist, Professor of Botany at the Marburg University from 1786 until his death. ... Classes Magnoliopsida- Dicots Liliopsida- Monocots The flowering plants (also called angiosperms) are a major group of land plants. ... Subfamilies Bombacoideae Brownlowioideae Byttnerioideae Dombeyoideae Grewioideae Helicteroideae Malvoideae Sterculioideae Tilioideae Malvaceae is family of flowering plants containing Malva, the mallow genus, and its relatives. ... Species See text. ... Species See text Abelmoschus is a genus of about 15 species of flowering plants in the mallow family Malvaceae, native to tropical Africa. ... For other uses, see Africa (disambiguation). ... Igbo (also known, less commonly, as Ibo; Ndi Igbo in Igbo) is a language spoken in Nigeria by around 18 million speakers (the Igbo), especially in the southeastern region once identified as Biafra. ...

It is an annual or perennial herbaceous plant, growing to 2 m tall, straight up with very little heliotropism. The leaves are 10-20 cm long and broad, palmately lobed with 5-7 lobes. The flowers are 4-8 cm diameter, with five white to yellow petals, often with a red or purple spot at the base of each petal. The fruit is a capsule, 5-20 cm long, containing numerous seeds. An annual plant is a plant that usually germinates, flowers and dies in one year. ... A Red Valerian, a perennial plant. ... This article is about the plants used in cooking and medicine. ... Phototropia is a botanical term for an organisms movement (tropism) in response to light. ... The leaves of a Beech tree A leaf with laminar structure and pinnate venation In botany, a leaf is an above-ground plant organ specialized for photosynthesis. ... Clivia miniata bears bright orange flowers. ... Fruit stall in Barcelona, Catalonia. ... A ripe red jalapeno cut open to show the seeds For other uses, see Seed (disambiguation). ...

Cultivation and uses

Raw okra pods

Okra is grown throughout the tropical and warm temperate regions of the world for its fibrous pods full of round, white seeds, which, when picked young, are eaten as a vegetable. It was brought to the United States via the African slave trade route, and can be grown in the southern states as an annual crop. It is also one of the most popular vegetables in late 20th century Japanese cuisine. In Israel, Jordan, Greece and other parts of the eastern Mediterranean, okra, known in Arabic and in Greek as bamia, is widely used in a thick stew made with vegetables and meat. It is also common in Indian cooking where it is either sauteed or added to gravy based preparations.Okra is also very popular in south India as a daily dish for dinner. Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Vegetables in a Market Venn diagram representing the relationship between (botanical) fruits and vegetables. ... Slave transport in Africa, from a 19th century engraving The trading of slaves has been carried on for thousands of years in Africa. ... There are many views of what is fundamental to Japanese cuisine. ... The Mediterranean Sea is an intercontinental sea positioned between Europe to the north, Africa to the south and Asia to the east, covering an approximate area of 2. ... The Arabic language (Arabic: ‎ transliterated: ), or simply Arabic (Arabic: ‎ transliterated: ), is the largest member of the Semitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family (classification: South Central Semitic) and is closely related to Hebrew and Aramaic. ...

Okra seeds are normally soaked overnight before planting and then planted 1-2 cm deep when the ground is warm; they will tolerate poor soils with heavy clay and intermittent moisture. Germination ranges from six days (soaked seeds) to three weeks (watered seeds followed by a cool spell). Seedlings require good watering. Okra is among the most heat- and drought-tolerant vegetables in the world; once established, it can survive severe drought conditions. Though frosts can kill the pods, so the plants should be protected in colder climates. SOiL is a five-piece aggressive rock/Nu Metal band from Chicago, formed in 1997 by ex-members of renowned death metal acts Broken Hope and Oppressor. ... The Gay Head cliffs in Marthas Vineyard are made almost entirely of natural clays. ... Sunflower seedlings, just three days after germination Germination is the process where growth emerges from a resting stage. ...

Okra is normally eaten young as it gets very woody when mature. Okra is often steamed until tender, either whole or sliced about 1 cm thick or simply stir-fried. Okra is a key thickening agent in Charleston gumbo; when cooked, it has the same mucilaginous properties as nopales (the pads of the prickly pear cactus). Breaded, deep fried okra is quite popular in the Southern United States, especially in restaurants. Okra can also be pickled. Stir frying is a common Chinese cooking technique used because of its fast cooking speed. ... A bowl of shrimp gumbo Gumbo is a spicy, hearty stew or soup, found typically in the states on the Gulf of Mexico in the United States, and very common in the southern part of Louisiana and the Lowcountry around Charleston, South Carolina. ... Mucilage is a thick gluey substance, often produced by plants. ... Especies Dejecta Cochenillifera The Nopal (plural Nopales) is a vegetable made from the young stem segments of prickly pear, carefully peeled to remove the spines. ... Species See Example species. ...

Okra leaves are tender and mild to eat. They make a nice addition to salad, and when cooked, give a slight okra flavor.

A pickled Okra pod may be used to replace the olive in a Martini to create an Okratini. The martini is a cocktail made with gin and dry white vermouth. ...

Nutrients

Per 100 grams of Okra (raw or hilaw):

Proximates:
Calories (33 cal.)
Protein (2.0 g)
Carbohydrate (7.6 g)
Total Fat (0.1 g)
Fiber (3.2 g)

Vitamins and Minerals:
Vitamin C (21 mg)
Folate (87.8 mcg)
Vitamin A (660 IU)
Magnesium (57 mg) delicious Indian fry

See also

Some other food plants have been given common names alluding to their similarities to okra:

• Molokhiya, also called "bush okra"
• Luffa, also called "Chinese okra"

Binomial name Corchorus olitorius L. Molokhiya (Arabic: ملوخية), also called bush okra or jute mallow, is a species of jute grown in many warm and tropical regions as a fiber crop and a mucilaginous leaf vegetable. ... Species (Angled luffa, Ridged Luffa) (Smooth luffa, Egyptian luffa) (Sponge cucumber) and others A luffa sponge whose coarse texture helps with skin polishing. ...

References

• ITIS 21770
• origins

Extras

• Two great okra recipes from MoTV.
• A simple recipe for frying okra.

Wikibooks Cookbook has more about this subject:

Okra