Corchorus is a genus of approximately 40–100 species of flowering plants in the family Malvaceae (order Malvales), placed within the subfamily Grewioideae. The genus is native to tropical and subtropical regions throughout the world.
Most species are tall, usually annual herbs reaching 2–4 metres in height, unbranched or with only a few side branches. The leaves are alternate, simple, and lanceolate, typically 5–15 cm long, with an acuminate tip and a finely serrated or lobed margin. The flowers are small — about 2–3 cm in diameter — yellow, and composed of five petals. The fruit is a many-seeded capsule.
Corchorus is best known as the source of jute, one of the most economically important natural plant fibres in the world. The genus was first formally described by Carl Linnaeus in Species Plantarum (1753). The genus Oceanopapaver, previously of uncertain family placement and based on a single species from New Caledonia (Oceanopapaver neocaledonicum, described by Guillaumin in 1932), has been synonymized under Corchorus.
Etymology
The name Corchorus derives from the Ancient Greek κόρχορος or κόρκορος (korkhoros or korkoros), a word applied to a wild plant of uncertain identity — possibly jute or wild asparagus. The genus was formally established by Linnaeus in Species Plantarum (1753).
Distribution
Corchorus is native to tropical and subtropical regions throughout the world. The genus reaches its greatest diversity in Africa and Asia, with species occurring across South and Southeast Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, and parts of the Americas.
Cultivation
Corchorus species are cultivated primarily as fibre crops and leaf vegetables in warm, humid tropical climates. Plants are grown as annuals and reach harvest height in a single growing season.
Cultural Uses
Jute fibre, derived from Corchorus stems, is one of the world's most widely used natural fibres, employed for sacking, rope, textiles, and packaging material. The leaves of certain species are used as a mucilaginous cooked vegetable — known as molokhia or mulukhiyah — in traditional cuisines across North Africa, the Middle East, and East Asia.
