Annual, much-branched herb 90-120 cm tall; stems glabrous. Leaves 6-10 cm long, 3.5-5 cm broad, elliptic-lanceolate, apically acute or acuminate, glabrous, serrate, the lower serratures on each side prolonged into a filiform appendage over 6 mm long, rounded at the base, 3-5 nerved; petioles 2-2.5 cm long, slightly pubescent, especially towards the apex; atipules subulate, 6-10 mm long. Flowers pale yellow; bracts lanceolate; peduncle shorter than the petiole; pedicles 1-3, very short. Sepals 3 mm long, oblong, apiculate. Petals 5 mm long, oblong spathulate. Style short; stigma microscopically papillose. Capsules 3-6.5 cm long, linear, cylindric erect, beaked, glabrous, 10-ribbed, 5-valved; valves with transverse partitions between the seeds. Seeds trigonous, black

Improves cardiac function (plant) and laxative (seed); demulcent, deobstruent, diuretic, lactagogue, purgative, and tonic

Corchorus olitorius L.
Plants for a future

Chorchoroside A and corchorotoxine (plant); corchorin, corchogenin, olitorin and corchoric acid (seed).

Chronic cystitis, gonorrhoea and dysuria(leaf); for aches and pains, dysentery, enteritis, fever, pectoral pains and tumors; to restore the appetite and strength (cold infusion)

Sharma, Classical Uses of Medicinal Plants.