Hibiscus asper is an annual to perennial herb growing up to 2 metres tall. The stems have fine prickles.
The plant is occasionally cultivated as a vegetable and fibre crop, especially in Senegal and DR Congo.

Known Hazards

None known

Habitat

Ruderal and wild, in abandoned farm fields, savannahs, grassland, river alluvium, moist rock basins, and edges of gallery forest.

Cultivation Status

Cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

A locally selected type of Hibiscus asper with narrow leaves is cultivated on a small scale in Senegal.
Seed - sow in situ or in containers. Germination is usually quite rapid. Prick out container-grown seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and plant them out into their permanent positions when they are 10cm or taller.

Edible Uses

Leaves – cooked.
They are boiled and eaten as a vegetable, especially in the Sahel region.
Young fruits - cooked. They are mucilaginous and are used to thicken soups.

Medicinal

The leaves are dried over a fire and then applied to eczematous sores.
The leaves are also used to treat a range of other skin problems.
The plant is antidote, depurative, diuretic, restorative and tonic.
It is used to treat a variety of complaints including urethritis, anaemia, jaundice, malaria, angina, poisoning, painful and irregular menstruation, and leucorrhoea.

Agroforestry Uses

None Recorded

Other Uses

A fibre is obtained from the plant.
Although the source is not mentioned, it is almost certainly from the stem bark.

Propagation

Seed - sow in situ or in containers. Germination is usually quite rapid. Prick out container-grown seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and plant them out into their permanent positions when they are 10cm or taller.