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HERB  ALLEY


 

Hibiscus
(Hibiscus abelmoschus)

COMMON NAME:  Musk seed plant, rose mallow, Syrian mallow, target-leaved hibiscus, water mallow.
MEDICINAL PART:  Seeds.
DESCRIPTION:  Musk-mallow is an annual of biennial plant ehich grows wild in Egypt, India, and the East and West Indies;  it is also cultivated elsewhere.  The stem, growing from 2 to 6 feet high, bears alternate leaves which are usually sharply lobed and irregularly toothed but sometimes only shallowly lobed and like maple leaves.  Both sides are thily hairy.  The large, axillary flowers are yellow and have red centers.  An oblong, pointed, hairy capsule up to 3 inches long contains the kidney-shaped, grayish-brown, musk-odored seeds.
PROPERTIES AND USES:  Antispasmodic, nervine, stomachic.  An emulsion made from the seeds is said to be useful for spasmodic problems; an wmulsion made with milk can be used for itchy skin.  In Egypt, the seeds are chewed to relieve stomach problems, to soothe the nerves, and to “sweeten” the breath.  Egyptians also consider the seeds to have aphrodisiac powers.
 

The Herb Book   by John Lust