SafePlants

Corchorus tridens: Wild Jute

Corchorus tridens, commonly known as wild jute, is a flowering plant belonging to the Malvaceae family. This herb is found in tropical and subtropical regions around the world.

Considerations for Pets

• The plant is sometimes found in home gardens or at least tolerated as a weed.

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

• Scientific Name: Corchorus tridens L.
• Family: Malvaceae (formerly Tiliaceae)
• Kingdom: Plantae

Distribution and Habitat

• This species is native to tropical and subtropical regions worldwide.
• It likely originated from Africa, with a secondary center of diversity in the Indo-Burmese region.
• It is native to Western Australia.
• It is found in Combretum-Terminalia and Anogeissus woodland and bushland.
• It grows in various dry or moist soils from argillous sand to porous soils.

Ecological Role

• It occurs spontaneously and is sometimes cultivated in home gardens or at least tolerated as a weed.
• It is considered a weedy or ruderal herb.

Morphological Characteristics

• It is described as a woody hairless herb.
• Leaves are oblong or elliptic, measuring approximately 4.5 x 0.8 cm, with rounded teeth.

Uses

• It is considered an important wild vegetable.
• The leaves are used as a vegetable.
• The whole plant is used as fodder.
• It is used for food and medicine by rural communities in the Eastern Transvaal lowveld of South Africa.

Interactions with Other Organisms

• It serves as a food source for livestock.

Quirky Facts

• In Zarma, it is known as "foku."
• The leaves, when boiled, produce an oily liquid, according to one observation.

Further Information

• USDA Plant Hardiness Map
• International Plant Names Index
• The Plant List
• IPNI (International Plant Names Index)
• Australian Plant Name Index
• NYBG Virtual Herbarium (New York Botanical Garden)
• African Plants Database