Roselle Hibiscus- tea & fruit

[joel]

Have you used this plant?

 

[joel]

Can buy seeds on the net.
https://hosstools.com/product/roselle-hibiscus/

 

[Peanut]

I've never heard of it but I know of the Hibiscus genus. It's in the Mallow family which is a very interesting family of plants. Okra and Cotton are also Mallow's. If you look closely at those red pods... except for color they are very similar to cotton boles beginning to open.

There are lots of edible mallow's and quiet a few toxic ones also.

A quick search revealed some medicinal uses.

A pdf on medicinal uses at... (attached below)
https://www.florajournal.com/vol2issue6/mar2015/2-6-11.1.pdf
A review on phytochemistry and therapeutic uses of Hibiscus sabdariffa L at PubMed (NIH)
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29597091/
From a random site, not sure of the accuracy of all the details in this discription...

Traditional/Ethnobotanical uses
The hibiscus has had a lengthy history of use in Africa and neighboring tropical countries. Its fragrant flowers have been used in sachets and perfumes. In areas of northern Nigeria, this plant has been used to treat constipation. Fiber from H. sabdariffa has been used to fashion rope as a jute substitute. The fleshy red calyx is used in the preparation of jams, jellies, and cold and warm teas and drinks. The leaves have been used like spinach. The plant is used widely in Egypt for the treatment of cardiac and nerve diseases and has been described as a diuretic. In Iran, drinking sour tea for the treatment of hypertension is a popular practice. It has been used in the treatment of cancers. Research reveals little or no evidence of these medicinal uses of hibiscus. The mucilaginous leaves are used as a topical emollient in Africa. In Western countries, hibiscus flowers often are found as components of herbal tea mixtures. In Thailand, people consume roselle juice to quench thirst. Karkade seed products (ie, karkade defatted flour, protein concentrate, protein isolate) have been studied for their nutritional and functional value.

Hypertension
A randomized clinical trial evaluated the effect of sour tea available commercially in Iran on essential hypertension in otherwise healthy volunteers. A decrease in blood pressure was seen. However, after cessation of drinking the sour tea, a rise in blood pressure occurred. Although no adverse effects were seen in this study, the use of sour tea for treating hypertension requires further study.

Antibacterial/Vermifuge
Aqueous extracts of hibiscus appear to exert a slight antibacterial effect. In laboratory and animal studies, worms were killed by hibiscus extracts. Research reveals little or no clinical data regarding the use of hibiscus as an antibacterial or vermifuge (kill worms).

Chemopreventive effects
Components of hibiscus have shown potential as a chemopreventative agent against tumor promotion in laboratory and animal studies. These components also possess anti-inflammatory properties. Research reveals little or no clinical data regarding the use of hibiscus as a chemopreventive agent.

Laxative effects
The plant has been used as a mild laxative. While animal studies show a mild cathartic effect, research reveals little or no human clinical data regarding the use of hibiscus as a laxative.

 

[winds-of-change]

I ferment pure, 100% Organic hibiscus kombucha. It’s never fermented anything but hibiscus. It’s very tasty.

 

[joel]