Botanical Name of Lady's Finger

The Botanical name of Lady's Finger is Abelmoschus esculentus. It is a native flowering plant of East Africa and belongs to the mallow family. The fruit is popularly known as okra or orcho and is mistakenly considered a vegetable. There are so many regional names like "Bhindi", "Dhenras", etc. but the origin of the Lady's Finger is disputed. People say that Lady's Finger originated from either the Abyssinian center or Ethiopia or the higher part of the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan.

What is the Botanical Name of Lady's Finger?

The scientific name of Lady's Finger is Abelmoschus esculentus. The genus of the plant is Abelmoschus, and the family is Malvaceae.

• The plant has variable lengths, ranging from 0.5 to 0.4 meters with 10 to 20 cm long leaves.
• The leaves contain 5 to 7 palmately lobes.
• Lady's Finger plants belong to the Malvaceae family which relates the plant to cocoa, cotton, and hibiscus, etc.
• Ladys Finger plants are characterized by their intermediate growth. Its stems are hairy, robust with variable branching.
• Flowers of this plant are whitish-yellow colored with red or purple spots with a diameter of 4 to 8 cm.
• They contain spherical pollen with an approx. 188 microns.
• The pods can grow up to 18 cm and contain white seeds.
• Lady's Finger plants are the explosive spreaders. In the mature stage, the pods explode on their own.
• The seeds spread several feet away from the plant which gives birth to a new plant.

Biological Classification of Lady's Finger

Now let us discuss the biological classification of Lady's Finger. Here in this table below, we have mentioned the division, class, order, family, genus and various clades of Lady's Finger.

Cultivation of Lady's Finger

Lady's Finger is a tropical crop that can be cultivated in warm regions. These plants are highly heat and drought-resistant. The only drawback is frost can damage this plant. Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, and Orissa are the major producer of Lady's Finger in India. Four major conditions need to be followed in the time of Lady's Finger cultivation.

Nutritional Contents and Health Benefits of Lady's Finger

Lady's Fingers are a good source of carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, enzymes, calcium, and potassium. It contains low calories with high fiber which helps to reduce weight. Besides pods, the leaves, buds, and flowers are also edible in this plant. During pregnancy, Lady's Fingers helps to regulate the bowel movements and prevents constipation. Per 100 grams of edible portion contains so many nutritional contents as mentioned below:

Uses of Lady's Finger

Lady's Finger is an all in one fruit with various uses. Here are some common uses mentioned below:

• Lady's Finger pods can be eaten raw as salad or in the form of pickles.
• Pods' large amount of mucilage is used to cook thick soups and broths.
• The pods can be cooked with acidic ingredients such as tomato or lemons to produce gumbo. It is a well-known food in the southern USA.
• Lady's Finger leaves are also used as salad.
• Pod seeds can be used as a caffeine-free coffee substitute after a good roast.
• Pod seeds are a good source of oil which is greenish-yellow in colour.
• In many tribal cultures, the leaves and baby pods are used as painkillers.

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