Abelmoschus esculentus | |
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Okra plant, with mature, and developing fruits in Hong Kong | |
Okra in longitudinal section | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
(unranked): | Angiosperms |
(unranked): | Eudicots |
(unranked): | Rosids |
Order: | Malvales |
Family: | Malvaceae |
Genus: | Abelmoschus |
Species: | A. esculentus |
Binomial name | |
Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench |
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Worldwide okra production | |
Synonyms | |
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Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz) | |
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Energy | 138 kJ (33 kcal) |
7.45 g
|
|
Sugars | 1.48 g |
Dietary fiber | 3.2 g |
0.19 g
|
|
1.9 g
|
|
Vitamins | |
Vitamin A equiv. |
(5%)
36 μg |
Thiamine (B1) |
(17%)
0.2 mg |
Riboflavin (B2) |
(5%)
0.06 mg |
Niacin (B3) |
(7%)
1 mg |
Folate (B9) |
(15%)
60 μg |
Vitamin C |
(28%)
23 mg |
Vitamin E |
(2%)
0.27 mg |
Vitamin K |
(30%)
31.3 μg |
Minerals | |
Calcium |
(8%)
82 mg |
Iron |
(5%)
0.62 mg |
Magnesium |
(16%)
57 mg |
Phosphorus |
(9%)
61 mg |
Potassium |
(6%)
299 mg |
Zinc |
(6%)
0.58 mg |
Other constituents | |
Water | 89.6 g |
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Percentages are roughly approximated using US recommendations for adults. |
Okra or okro (US /ˈoʊkrə/ or UK /ˈɒkrə/), known in many English-speaking countries as ladies' fingers, ochro or gumbo, is a flowering plant in the mallow family. It is valued for its edible green seed pods. The geographical origin of okra is disputed, with supporters of West African, Ethiopian, and South Asian origins. The plant is cultivated in tropical, subtropical and warm temperate regions around the world.
The name okra is most often used in the UK, United States and the Philippines, with a variant pronunciation in Caribbean English and Nigeria of okro. The word okra is from the Igbo ọ́kụ̀rụ̀. The plant and its seed pods are also known as "lady's fingers". In various Bantu languages, okra is called (ki)ngombo or a variant, and this is possibly the origin of the name "gumbo", used in parts of the United States and the English-speaking Caribbean (via Spanish/Portuguese "quingombo").
Okra is an allopolyploid of uncertain parentage (proposed parents include Abelmoschus ficulneus, A. tuberculatus and a reported "diploid" form of okra). Truly wild (as opposed to naturalised) populations are not known with certainty and the species may be a cultigen.