Taxon:  Hibiscus cannabinus L.



Summary
Genus:
Hibiscus
Family:
Malvaceae
Subfamily:
Malvoideae
Tribe:
Hibisceae
Nomen number:
19012
Place of publication:
Syst. nat. ed. 10, 2:1149.  1759
Verified:
05/22/1995 ARS Systematic Botanists.
Accessions:
420 (286  active, 114  available) in National Plant Germplasm System.  (Map it)
Other conspecific taxa
Autonyms (not in current use), synonyms and invalid designations
Images (1 total. Click on image for more.)
Seed

Conservation Status

Reference(s)
  1. PROTABASE, the information base of PROTA (Plant Resources of Tropical Africa) (on-line resource).
  2. Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)
  3. APHIS. Agricultural Risk Management System United States Department of Agriculture.
  4. Bates, D. M. 1965. Notes on the cultivated Malvaceae. 1. Hibiscus. Baileya 13:83-85.
  5. Borssum Waalkes, J. v. 1966. Malesian Malvaceae revised. Blumea 14:63-64.
  6. Brink, M. & R. P. Escobin, eds. 2003. Fibre plants. In: Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds., Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA) 17:156-162.
  7. Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, India. 1959. The wealth of India: a dictionary of Indian raw materials and industrial products. Raw materials. 5:77-84.
  8. Crance, J. C. 1947. Kenaf - fiber-plant rival of jute. Econ. Bot. 1:334-350.
  9. Dassanayake, M. D. & F. R. Fosberg, eds. 1980-. A revised handbook to the flora of Ceylon.
  10. Erhardt, W. et al. 2008. Der große Zander: Enzyklopädie der Pflanzennamen 1462.
  11. Exell, A. W. et al., eds. 1960-. Flora zambesiaca.
  12. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). 2010. Ecocrop (on-line resource).
  13. Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
  14. Hanelt, P., ed. 2001. Mansfeld's encyclopedia of agricultural and horticultural crops. Volumes 1-6
  15. Hoang, H.-D. et al. 1997. Additional notes to the checklist of Korean cultivated plants (5). Consolidated summary and indexes. Genet. Resources Crop Evol. 44:363.
  16. Integrated Botanical Information System (IBIS). Australian plant common name database (on-line resource).
  17. International Seed Testing Association. 1982. A Multilingual Glossary of Common Plant-Names 1. Field crops, grasses and vegetables, ed. 2.
  18. Keay, R. W. J. & F. N. Hepper. 1953-1972. Flora of west tropical Africa, ed. 2.
  19. Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. Hortus third. A concise dictionary of plants cultivated in the United States and Canada
  20. Liogier, H. A. & L. F. Martorell. 1982. Flora of Puerto Rico and adjacent islands: a systematic synopsis.
  21. Markle, G. M. et al., eds. 1998. Food and feed crops of the United States, ed. 2
  22. Mun-Chan, B. et al. 1986. A checklist of the Korean cultivated plants. Kulturpflanze 34:102.
  23. Personal Care Products Council. International Nomenclature Cosmetic Ingredient
  24. Porcher, M. H. et al. Searchable World Wide Web Multilingual Multiscript Plant Name Database (MMPND) (on-line resource).
  25. Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
  26. Sharma, B. D. et al., eds. 1993-. Flora of India.
  27. Walker, E. 1976. Flora of Okinawa and the southern Ryukyu Islands.
  28. Wilson, F. D. & M. Y. Menzel. 1964. Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus), roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa). Econ. Bot. 18:80-91.
  29. Wilson, F. D. 1978. Wild kenaf, Hibiscus cannabinus L. (Malvaceae), and related species in Kenya and Tanzania. Econ. Bot. 32:199-204.
  30. Wilson, F. D. 1999. Revision of Hibiscus section Furcaria (Malvaceae) in Africa and Asia. Bull. Nat. Hist. Mus. London, Bot. 29:66-67.
  31. Wood, J. R. I. 1997. A handbook of the Yemen flora.
  32. Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
  33. 1961. Webster's third new international dictionary.
Common names
LanguageNameAlternate namenoteseqCitation
Englishbastard-jute  1Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. Hortus third. A concise dictionary of plants cultivated in the United States and Canada
Englishbimli-jute  1Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. Hortus third. A concise dictionary of plants cultivated in the United States and Canada
EnglishDeccan-hemp  1Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
EnglishIndian-hemp  1Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. Hortus third. A concise dictionary of plants cultivated in the United States and Canada
EnglishJava-jute  11961. Webster's third new international dictionary.
Englishkenaf  1Wiersema, J. H. & B. León. 1999. World economic plants: a standard reference CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.
Englishkenaf hibiscus  1Integrated Botanical Information System (IBIS). Australian plant common name database (on-line resource).
Frenchchanvre de Bombay  2Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Frenchchanvre de Guinée  2Hanelt, P., ed. 2001. Mansfeld's encyclopedia of agricultural and horticultural crops. Volumes 1-6
GermanAmbari  2Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
GermanDekkanhanf  2Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
GermanGambohanf  2Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
GermanJawa-Jute  2Hanelt, P., ed. 2001. Mansfeld's encyclopedia of agricultural and horticultural crops. Volumes 1-6
GermanKenaf  2Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
India (Hindi)ambari  2Hanelt, P., ed. 2001. Mansfeld's encyclopedia of agricultural and horticultural crops. Volumes 1-6
India (Hindi)mesta  2Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
India (Hindi)patsan  2Hanelt, P., ed. 2001. Mansfeld's encyclopedia of agricultural and horticultural crops. Volumes 1-6
India (Hindi)pitwa  2Hanelt, P., ed. 2001. Mansfeld's encyclopedia of agricultural and horticultural crops. Volumes 1-6
Italianibisco  2International Seed Testing Association. 1982. A Multilingual Glossary of Common Plant-Names 1. Field crops, grasses and vegetables, ed. 2.
Japanese Rōmajikenafu  2Walker, E. 1976. Flora of Okinawa and the southern Ryukyu Islands.
Spanishapocino  2Hanelt, P., ed. 2001. Mansfeld's encyclopedia of agricultural and horticultural crops. Volumes 1-6
Swedishkenaf  2Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)
Transcribed Chineseda ma jin  2Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
Transcribed Koreanyangma  2Hoang, H.-D. et al. 1997. Additional notes to the checklist of Korean cultivated plants (5). Consolidated summary and indexes. Genet. Resources Crop Evol. 44:363.
Distribution
order_codeStatusContinentSubcontinentCountryStateNoteReference
1NativeAfricaEast Tropical AfricaKenya  Wilson, F. D. 1999. Revision of Hibiscus section Furcaria (Malvaceae) in Africa and Asia. Bull. Nat. Hist. Mus. London, Bot. 29:66-67.
1NativeAfricaEast Tropical AfricaTanzania  Wilson, F. D. 1999. Revision of Hibiscus section Furcaria (Malvaceae) in Africa and Asia. Bull. Nat. Hist. Mus. London, Bot. 29:66-67.
1NativeAfricaEast Tropical AfricaUganda  Wilson, F. D. 1999. Revision of Hibiscus section Furcaria (Malvaceae) in Africa and Asia. Bull. Nat. Hist. Mus. London, Bot. 29:66-67.
1NativeAfricaNortheast Tropical AfricaChad  Wilson, F. D. 1999. Revision of Hibiscus section Furcaria (Malvaceae) in Africa and Asia. Bull. Nat. Hist. Mus. London, Bot. 29:66-67.
1NativeAfricaNortheast Tropical AfricaEthiopia  Wilson, F. D. 1999. Revision of Hibiscus section Furcaria (Malvaceae) in Africa and Asia. Bull. Nat. Hist. Mus. London, Bot. 29:66-67.
1NativeAfricaNortheast Tropical AfricaSomalia  Wilson, F. D. 1999. Revision of Hibiscus section Furcaria (Malvaceae) in Africa and Asia. Bull. Nat. Hist. Mus. London, Bot. 29:66-67.
1NativeAfricaNortheast Tropical AfricaSudan  Wilson, F. D. 1999. Revision of Hibiscus section Furcaria (Malvaceae) in Africa and Asia. Bull. Nat. Hist. Mus. London, Bot. 29:66-67.
1NativeAfricaSouth Tropical AfricaAngola  Wilson, F. D. 1999. Revision of Hibiscus section Furcaria (Malvaceae) in Africa and Asia. Bull. Nat. Hist. Mus. London, Bot. 29:66-67.
1NativeAfricaSouth Tropical AfricaMalawi  Wilson, F. D. 1999. Revision of Hibiscus section Furcaria (Malvaceae) in Africa and Asia. Bull. Nat. Hist. Mus. London, Bot. 29:66-67.
1NativeAfricaSouth Tropical AfricaMozambique  Wilson, F. D. 1999. Revision of Hibiscus section Furcaria (Malvaceae) in Africa and Asia. Bull. Nat. Hist. Mus. London, Bot. 29:66-67.
1NativeAfricaSouth Tropical AfricaZambia  Exell, A. W. et al., eds. 1960-. Flora zambesiaca.
1NativeAfricaSouth Tropical AfricaZimbabwe  Exell, A. W. et al., eds. 1960-. Flora zambesiaca.
1NativeAfricaSouthern AfricaBotswana  Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
1NativeAfricaSouthern AfricaEswatini  Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
1NativeAfricaSouthern AfricaNamibia  Wilson, F. D. 1999. Revision of Hibiscus section Furcaria (Malvaceae) in Africa and Asia. Bull. Nat. Hist. Mus. London, Bot. 29:66-67.
1NativeAfricaSouthern AfricaSouth AfricaGauteng Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
1NativeAfricaSouthern AfricaSouth AfricaKwaZulu-Natal Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
1NativeAfricaSouthern AfricaSouth AfricaLimpopo Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
1NativeAfricaSouthern AfricaSouth AfricaMpumalanga Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
1NativeAfricaSouthern AfricaSouth AfricaNorth-West Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
1NativeAfricaWest Tropical AfricaGhana  Wilson, F. D. 1999. Revision of Hibiscus section Furcaria (Malvaceae) in Africa and Asia. Bull. Nat. Hist. Mus. London, Bot. 29:66-67.
1NativeAfricaWest Tropical AfricaMali  Wilson, F. D. 1999. Revision of Hibiscus section Furcaria (Malvaceae) in Africa and Asia. Bull. Nat. Hist. Mus. London, Bot. 29:66-67.
1NativeAfricaWest Tropical AfricaNigeria  Wilson, F. D. 1999. Revision of Hibiscus section Furcaria (Malvaceae) in Africa and Asia. Bull. Nat. Hist. Mus. London, Bot. 29:66-67.
1NativeAfricaWest Tropical AfricaSenegal  Wilson, F. D. 1999. Revision of Hibiscus section Furcaria (Malvaceae) in Africa and Asia. Bull. Nat. Hist. Mus. London, Bot. 29:66-67.
1NativeAfricaWest-Central Tropical AfricaBurundi  Wilson, F. D. 1999. Revision of Hibiscus section Furcaria (Malvaceae) in Africa and Asia. Bull. Nat. Hist. Mus. London, Bot. 29:66-67.
1NativeAfricaWest-Central Tropical AfricaCameroon  Wilson, F. D. 1999. Revision of Hibiscus section Furcaria (Malvaceae) in Africa and Asia. Bull. Nat. Hist. Mus. London, Bot. 29:66-67.
1NativeAfricaWest-Central Tropical AfricaCentral African Republic  Wilson, F. D. 1999. Revision of Hibiscus section Furcaria (Malvaceae) in Africa and Asia. Bull. Nat. Hist. Mus. London, Bot. 29:66-67.
1NativeAfricaWest-Central Tropical AfricaDemocratic Republic of the Congo e.Wilson, F. D. 1999. Revision of Hibiscus section Furcaria (Malvaceae) in Africa and Asia. Bull. Nat. Hist. Mus. London, Bot. 29:66-67.
1NativeAfricaWest-Central Tropical AfricaRwanda  Wilson, F. D. 1999. Revision of Hibiscus section Furcaria (Malvaceae) in Africa and Asia. Bull. Nat. Hist. Mus. London, Bot. 29:66-67.
2Cultivated    widely cult. in tropics 
4Naturalized    widely natzd. elsewhere in tropics 
5UncertainAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentIndia suggests it may be indigenous, but this is contradicted by other sourcesCouncil of Scientific and Industrial Research, India. 1959. The wealth of India: a dictionary of Indian raw materials and industrial products. Raw materials. 5:77-84.
Native
Africa
  • NORTHEAST TROPICAL AFRICA: Ethiopia, Sudan, Somalia, Chad
  • EAST TROPICAL AFRICA: Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda
  • WEST-CENTRAL TROPICAL AFRICA: Burundi, Central African Republic, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo (e.), Rwanda
  • WEST TROPICAL AFRICA: Ghana, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal
  • SOUTH TROPICAL AFRICA: Angola, Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe
  • SOUTHERN AFRICA: Botswana, Namibia, Eswatini, South Africa [Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, North-West]
Cultivated (widely cult. in tropics)
Naturalized (widely natzd. elsewhere in tropics)
Uncertain
Asia-Tropical
  • INDIAN SUBCONTINENT: India (suggests it may be indigenous, but this is contradicted by other sources)

Reference(s)
  1. Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, India. 1959. The wealth of India: a dictionary of Indian raw materials and industrial products. Raw materials. 5:77-84.
  2. Exell, A. W. et al., eds. 1960-. Flora zambesiaca.
  3. Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
  4. Wilson, F. D. 1999. Revision of Hibiscus section Furcaria (Malvaceae) in Africa and Asia. Bull. Nat. Hist. Mus. London, Bot. 29:66-67.
Economic Uses
UsageTypeNoteReference
Animal foodfodder Markle, G. M. et al., eds. 1998. Food and feed crops of the United States, ed. 2
Materialsfiber Exell, A. W. et al., eds. 1960-. Flora zambesiaca.
Materialsfiber Crance, J. C. 1947. Kenaf - fiber-plant rival of jute. Econ. Bot. 1:334-350.
Materialslipids Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2026. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
URL: https://npgstest.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=19012. Accessed 15 April 2026.