Post on 13-May-2018
MORTON: THE ROSELLE 415
nurseries, and some do so. Others transfer to
4-year institutions to finish their studies, or they
switch to an allied field, e.g., Environmental
Studies, at Florida International University, a new
and growing part of the State University System
at Miami.
Discussion and Conclusion
Research in agriculture and allied fields has
supported United States pre-eminence in food
production and, correlatively, in world affairs for
many years. Hybrid corn, a product of genetics
research begun in the northeastern United States
early in this century, helped win World War II.
The rust-resistant and cold-hardy winter wheats,
products of plant introduction and agricultural re
search, have fed the hungry of this nation and our
friends in war and peace.
Continuing research in food and fiber produc
tion, particularly in tropical and subtropical parts
of the world, is vital to human health and perhaps
even to human survival. The existing human re
sources and technical facilities of Florida's south
eastern coast, combined with the natural subtrop
ical environment here, equip this Research Cres
cent to assume a major role in the United States'
tropical research program. Enough necessary work
waits in the Research Crescent to keep every qual
ified person busy for the forseeable future.
Literature Cited
1. Burditt, A. K., Jr., Soderholm, P. K., Spalding, D. H., and Knight, R. J., Jr. 1973. Seventy-five years of USDA research at Miami. Proc. Fla. State Hort. Soc. 86:303-308.
2. Campbell, C. W., and Malo, S. E. 1968. Three decades of tropical fruit improvement in Florida. Fla. A.E.S. Sun shine State Agr. Research Report 13(1): 39-40.
3. Rhodes, A. M., Campbell, C. W., Malo, S. E., and Carmer, S. G. 1970. A numerical taxonomic study of the mango Mangifera indica L. J. Amer. Soc, Hort. Scu 95(2):
252-256.
4. Smiley, N. 1960. The Fairchild tropical garden. Amer. Hort. Magazine 39(1): 1-13.
5. Teas, H. J., Leigh, W. H., et al. 1970. Tropical studies
at the University of Miami. U. of Miami, Coral Gables. 24 p.
6. Wait, L. H. 1948. Fairchild tropical garden—the first
ten years. Ronald Press, New York. 381 p.
RENEWED INTEREST IN ROSELLE (HIBISCUS SABDARIFFA L.)r
THE LONG-FORGOTTEN "FLORIDA CRANBERRY"
Julia F. Morton
Morton Collectanea, University of Miami
Coral Gables
Abstract. Roselle was once commonly growivin
central and southern Florida for its fleshy, red,
acid calyces, used for making cranberry-like
sauce, jelly and other preserves, desserts and
wine. The plant has been nearly extinct in this
state since the mid-1950's, its common name has
been applied to related but dissimilar species,
and seeds have been difficult to obtain. There was
a brief flurry of requests for seed and informa
tion during the coal-tar-dye alarms of 1959 and
1960. Today, there is a stronger resurgence of
interest on the part of food and beverage manu
facturers who anticipate further F&DA restric
tions on synthetic red colorants. Also, rising food
costs and the trend toward "natural" foods and
revival of home-gardening, have created a new
demand for roselle and the seeds are again of
fered by dealers in rare plant materials.
Throughout the tropics, the dried calyces are
often seen in native markets and these can be
utilized as well as the fresh for cold drinks and
jelly. In temperate regions where the fruits do
not mature, the stems and leaves are utilized.
Roselle seeds are edible and yield oil, and the
residue, serves as feed for chickens and cattle.
~l$L..salydariffa var. altissima is grown for its fiber.
The genus Hibiscus, of the family Malvaceae,
embraces 200 or more speciesV'mainly tropical and
subtropical, ranging in form from herbs and sub-
shrubs to the large timber treej Hi elatus Sw.—the
-blue mahoe of Cuba and Jamaica. Most important
as a food plant is okra, H. esculentus L. The most
widely admired member of the genus is the Chinese
hibiscus, H. rosa-sinensis L., a woody shrub or
small tree of which numerous cultivars and hybrids
are among the most popular flowering plants of the
warm climates of the world.
A minor ornamental in Florida and elsewhere
is the red-leaf hibiscus, H. eetveldeanus Wildem.
& Th. Dur. (syn. H. acetosella Welw.) of tropical
Africa which has red stems to 8 ft. high, 5-lobed,
red or bronze leaves, and mauve, or red-striped
416 FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY, 1974
yellow, flowers with a dark-red eye, succeeded by a
hairy seed pod enclosed in a red, ribbed calyx bear
ing a basal fringe of slender, forked bracts. This
plant has been often confused with roselle, though
its calyx is not fleshy and only the young leaves
are used for culinary purposes—usually cooked
with rice or vegetables because of their acid flavor.
True roselle is H. sabdariffa L., of which there
are two main types. The more important econom
ically is H. sabdariffa var. altissima Wester, an
erect, sparsely-branched annual to 16 ft. high,
which is cultivated for its jute-like fiber in India,
the East Indies, Nigeria and to some extent in
Tropical America. The stems of this variety are
green or red and the leaves are green, sometimes
with red veins. Its flowers are yellow and calyces
red or green, non-fleshy, fibrous, spiny and not used
for food. This type at times has been confused
with kenaf, H. cannabinus L., a somewhat similar
but more widely exploited fiber source.
Figr. 1. Red-leaf hibiscus (Hibiscus eetveldeanus), often mistaken for roselle. Photo by Julia Morton
MORTON: THE ROSELLE 417
The other distinct type of roselle, H. sabdariffa
var. sabdariffa, embraces shorter, bushy forms
which have been described as races: bhagalpurien-
sis, intermedius, albus, and ruber, all breeding
true from seed (4). The first has green, red-
streaked, inedible calyces; the second and third
have yellow-green edible calyces and also yield
fiber (15). The subject of this paper is primarily
the race ruber and its named cultivars with edible
calyces; secondarily the green-fruited strains which
have similar uses and which may belong to race
albus.
Vernacular names in addition to roselle in
English-speaking regions are rozelle, sorrel, red
sorrel, Jamaica sorrel, Indian sorrel, Guinea sorrel,
sour-sour, Queensland Jelly plant (65), jelly okra,
lemon bush (18), or Florida cranberry; in French,
oseille rouge, or oseille de Guinee (42); in Spanish,
quimbombo chino, sereni (48), rosa de Jamaica,
flor de Jamaica, Jamaica, agria (33, 35), agrio
de Guinea (54), quetmia acida (29), vina and
vinuela; in Portuguese, vinagreira, azeda de Guine,
cururu azedo, and quiabeiro azedo (27); and in
Dutch (Surinam), zuring (41). In North Africa
and the Near East, roselle is called karkade (6) or
carcade (21) and it is known by these names in
the pharmaceutical and food flavoring trades in
Europe (21). In Senegal, the common name is
bisap.
Description
H. sabdariffa var. sabdariffa race ruber is an
annual, erect, bushy, herbaceous subshrub to 8 ft.
tall (31) with smooth or nearly smooth, cylindrical,
typically red stems. The leaves are alternate, 3 to
5 in. long, green with reddish veins and long or
short petioles. Leaves of young seedlings (62) and
upper leaves of older plants are simple; lower
leaves are deeply 3- to 5- or even 7-lobed; the
margins are toothed. Flowers, borne singly in the
leaf axils, are up to 5 in. wide, yellow or buff with
a rose (1) or maroon eye, and turn pink as they
wither at the end of the day (15, 57, 62). At this
time, the typically red calyx, consisting of 5 large
sepals with a collar (epicalyx) of 8 to 12 slim,
pointed bracts (or bracteoles) around the base,
begins to enlarge, becomes fleshy, crisp but juicy,
l*/i to 2*4 in. long, and fully encloses the velvety
capsule, V2 to % in. long (47) which is green when
immature, 5-valved, with each valve containing 3
to 4 kidney-shaped, light-brown seeds, 1/8 to 3/16
in. long and minutely downy (47). The capsule
turns brown and splits open when mature and dry.
The calyx, stems and leaves are acid and closely
resemble the cranberry in flavor (66).
Origin and Distribution
Roselle is native from India to Malaysia, where
it is commonly cultivated (4, 8, 10, 20), and must
have been carried at an early date to Africa (3).
It has been widely distributed in the tropics and
subtropics of both hemispheres and in many areas
of the West Indies and Central America has be
come naturalized (9, 23, 47, 54).
The Flemish botanist, M. de L'Obel, published
his observations of the plant in 1576, and the edi
bility of the leaves was recorded in Java in 1687
(15). Seeds are said to have been brought to the
New World by African slaves (57). Roselle was
grown in Brazil in the 17th century and in Ja
maica in 1707 (44). The plant was being cul
tivated for food use in Guatemala before 1840
(57). J. N. Rose, in 1899, saw large baskets of
dried calyces in the markets of Guadaljara, Mex
ico (50).
In 1892, there were two factories producing
roselle jam in Queensland, Australia, and exporting
considerable quantities to Europe (62). This was
a short-lived enterprise. In 1909, there were no
more than 4 acres of edible roselle in Queensland
(15). A Mr. Neustadt of San Francisco imported
seed from Australia about 1895 and shared it with
the California state agricultural experiment sta
tion for test plantings and subsequent seed distri
bution (62). It was probably about the same time
that Australian seeds reached Hawaii. In 1904, the
Hawaiian Agricultural Experiment Station re
ceived seeds from Puerto Rico (16). In 1913 there
was much interest in interplanting roselle with
Ceara rubber (Manihot glaziovii Muell. Arg.) on
the island of Maui (63) and there were some
plantations established also on the island of Ha
waii, altogether totaling over 200 acres. The
anticipated jelly industry failed to materialize
(16) and promotional efforts were abandoned by
1929 (43).
P. J. Wester believed that roselle was brought
to Florida from Jamaica about 1887 (62). Plants
were grown by Dr. H. J. Webber at the U. S. De
partment of Agriculture's Subtropical Laboratory
at Eustis, Florida, in the early 1890's but all the
roselle was killed there by a severe freeze in 1895
(62). Cook and Collins reported that roselle was
commonly cultivated in southern Florida in 1903
(14). In 1904, Wester acquired seeds from Mr.
W. A. Hobbs of Coconut Grove and planted them
418 FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY, 1974
at the U. S. Department of Agriculture's Sub
tropical Garden in Miami. He was enthusiastic
about roselle's potential as a southern substitute
for the cranberry and authored the 16-page Farm
er's Bulletin, Roselle: Its Culture and Uses, in
1907. At that time, he stated that the fresh calyces
were being sold by the quart in South Florida mar
kets (62). He introduced three edible cultivars
into the Philippines in 1905 (10) and, in his
lengthy, illustrated article in the Philippine Agri
cultural Review in 1920, he declared: "No plant
that has ever been brought into the Philippines is
more at home and few grow with so little care as
the roselle, or are so productive. Still, like so
many other new introductions, the roselle has been
slow to gain hold in the popular taste though here
and there it is now found in the provincial mar
kets'' (63).
In 1928, Paul C. Standley wrote: "roselle . . .
is grown in large quantities in Panama, especially
Fig. 2. True roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa var. sabdariffa race rubber), the red calyx of which was long know as the "Florida
cranberry". Photo by Julia Morton
MORTON: THE ROSELLE 419
by the West Indians. So much of the plant is seen
in the markets and on the roads that one would
think the market oversupplied" (55).
Roselle became and remained a common home
garden crop throughout southern and central Flor
ida until after World War II when this area began
to develop rapidly and home gardening and pre
serving declined. In 1954, roselle was still being
grown by individuals in the Midwest for its edible
herbage (65). By 1959 and 1960, when there was
widespread alarm concerning coal-tar food dyes, it
was easy to arouse interst in roselle as a coloring
source but difficult to obtain seeds in Florida. At
that time, I purchased them from Gleckler's Seeds
men in Metamora, Ohio—40 seeds for 25^; ^4 oz.
for $1.25. Roselle had by then become nearly ex
tinct in Puerto Rico also, for, in 1959, food tech
nologists from the University of Puerto Rico's
laboratory in Rio Piedras approached me for seeds
in the hope of using the red juice of the calyx to
color guava wine (53).
Mrs. Edith Trebell of Estero, Florida, was one
of the last remaining suppliers of roselle jelly. In
February, 1961, I purchased the last two jars made
from the small crop salvaged following the 1960
hurricane and before frost killed all her plants. In
late 1961, I was able to obtain a few seeds from
Mrs. Henry Hildebrandt of Sarasota, Florida, an
oldtime roselle enthusiast. But, in 1969, the seeds
I ordered from the sole roselle advertiser in the
Florida Market Bulletin (Mrs. Opal Lilly, Flora-
home, Putnam County) produced plants with
spectacular, deep-purple flowers, 5 in. wide, and
spiny, non-fleshy calyces. Dr. Sam McFadden sug
gests the so-called "roselle" may have been H.
radiatus Cav. My disappointment was intensified
by finding a product labeled "Imitation Roselle
Jelly" on sale in a Stuckey's restaurant on Planta
tion Key.
In December, 1971, Horticulturist Edilberto
Camacho sent me some seeds from Costa Rica—the
product of plants raised from seed he collected in
Cali, Colombia—and these I shared with Laymond
Hardy who was also searching far and wide for
roselle seeds to plant in California. In 1973, I in
serted a "roselle wanted" ad in the Florida Market
Bulletin. There was one response, from Lake
Worth, but no seeds acquired. My order was re
turned marked "addressee unknown".
Last spring, it was a great pleasure to see
roselle featured in the catalog of John Brudy's
Rare Plant House, Cocoa Beach, and to find seeds
once again offered in the Market Bulletin. And I
am happy to know that Reasoner's Tropical Nurs
eries in Bradenton currently sells plants in con
tainers and gives to purchasers a sheet of recipes.
From Lawrence Adams of Arcadia, I obtained
seeds (25 for $1) which came from the Virgin
Islands where this particular strain is said to
mature its fruit a month early. These seeds and
seeds purchased by John G. DuPuis, Jr., from
Brudy were planted at DuPuis' Bar D Ranch in
Martin County. At this writing (Nov. 4), the
plants from Brudy seeds, planted in April, are
8 ft. high and beginning to bloom and set fruit.
The Adams seeds, planted in early July, have
yielded plants now only 2^ ft. high but neverthe
less blooming and fruiting.
At last, roselle is again being appreciated in
Florida as a home-garden crop and is attracting
the attention of food and beverage manufacturers
who feel it may have exploitable possibilities as a
natural food product and as a colorant to replace
some synthetic dyes. Even so, we are somewhat
behind some other roselle-growing regions. In
1962, Sharaf referred to the cultivation of roselle
as "recent" in Egypt, where interest is centered
more on its pharmaceutical than its food potential
(51). In 1971, it was reported that roselle calyces,
produced and dried in Senegal (particularly around
Bambey), were being shipped to Europe (Ger
many, Switzerland, France and Italy) at the rate
of 10 to 25 tons annually (6).
Cultivars
In 1920, Wester described three named, edible
roselle cultivars as being grown at that time in the
Philippines:
'Rico' (named in 1912): Plant relatively low-
growing, spreading, with simple leaves borne over
a longer period and the lobed leaves mostly 3-
parted. Flower has dark-red eye and golden-yellow
pollen. Mature calyx 1% to 2 in. long and 1-1/8 to
l1^ in. wide; bracts plump and stiffly horizontal.
Highest yielder of calyces per plant. Juice and
preserves of calyx and herbage rich-red.
'Victor': A superior selection from seedlings
grown at the Subtropical Garden in Miami in
1906. Plant taller (to 7 ft.), more erect and ro
bust. Flower has dark-red eye and golden-brown
pollen (63). It blooms somewhat earlier than
'Rico' (10). Calyces as long as those of Rico but
slenderer and more pointed at apex; bracts longer,
slenderer and curved upward. Juice and preserves
of calyx and herbage rich-red.
'Archer' (sometimes called "white sorrel"
(36)) resulted from seed sent to Wester by A. S.
420 FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY, 1974
Archer of the island of Antigua. It is believed to
be of the race albus (15). Edward Long referred
to "white" as well as red roselle as being grown
in most gardens of Jamaica in 1774 (58). Plant
is as tall and robust as Victor but has green stems.
Flower is yellow with deeper yellow eye and pale-
brown pollen. Calyx is green or greenish-white and
smaller than in the two preceding, but the yield
per plant is much greater. Juice and other products
are nearly colorless to amber. Green-fruited roselle
is grown throughout Senegal, but especially in the
Cape Vert region, mainly for use as a vegetable
(6).
Another roselle selection which originated in
1914 (15) at the Lamao experiment station and
was named 'Temprano' because of its early flow
ering, Wester reported as no longer grown, the
plant being less robust and less productive than
the others. (63).
A strain with dark-red, plump but stubby
Fig. 3. Sauce and jelly made from roselle calyces with seed capsules removed look and taste like products made of cran berries. Photo by Julia Morton
MORTON: THE ROSELLE 421-
calyces (the sepals scarcely longer than the seed
capsule) is grown in the Bahamas (32).
Requirements, Propagation and Culture
Roselle is very sensitive to frost (49). It suc
ceeds best in tropical and subtropical regions from
sea level up to 3,000 ft. with a rainfall of about
72 in. during its growing season. Where rainfall
is inadequate, irrigation has given good results
(63). It can be grown as a summer crop in tem
perate regions but the fruits will not ripen (65).
While deep, fairly fertile sandy loam (49) is pre
ferable, roselle grew and produced well over many
years in the oolitic limestone of Dade County.
Wester observed that the high pine lands were far
more suitable than low-lying muck and prairie
(62). The plants tended to reseed themselves and
on some properties they spread so extensively they
became a nuisance and were eradicated (53).
Roselle is usually propagated by seed but grows
readily from cuttings (49). The latter method re
sults in shorter plants preferred in India for inter-
planting with tree crops but the yield of calyces is
relatively low (4).
Seedlings may be raised in nursery beds and
transplanted when 3 to 4 in. high, but seeds are
usually set directly in the field, 4 to 6 to a hill,
the hills 3 to 6 ft. apart in rows 5 to 10 ft. apart.
When 2 or 3 leaves have developed, the seedlings
are thinned out by 50%. If grown mainly for
herbage, the plants may be only 2 ft. apart and
the seed can be sown as early as March and no
thinning is done in the early stage (63).
Roselle is a short-day plant and photoperiodic.
Unlike kenaf, roselle crops cannot be grown suc
cessively throughout the year (13, 39).
If intended solely for the production of calyces,
the ideal planting time in southern Florida is mid-
May (62). Blooming will occur in September and
October and calyces will be ready to harvest in
November and December. Harvesting causes latent
buds to develop and extends the flowering life of
the plant to late February. When the fruit is not
gathered but left to mature, the plants will die in
January (62).
Rolfs recommended whatever fertilizer would
be ordinarily used for vegetables but warned that
only % to V2 the usual amount should be applied.
He wryly remarked "As a whole, the plants are
rather more vigorous than need be; consequently
no attention need be paid in the direction of vigor."
(49) An excess of ammonia encourages vegetative
growth and reduces fruit production (62). Com
mercial fertilizer of the formula 4-6-7 has proved
satisfactory (15).
Weeding is necessary at first, but after the
plants reach W2 to 2 ft. in height, weeds will be
shaded out and no longer a problem (49). Early
pruning will increase branching and development
of more flowering shoots (7). The flowers are self-
pollinated (44).
Pests and Diseases
Roselle's major enemy is the root-knot nema-
tode, Heterodera radicicola (62). Mealy bugs may
be very troublesome. In Australia, three beetles,
Nisotra breweri Jarv., Lagris cyanea Macl. and
Rhyparida discopunctulata Lea, attack the leaves
(63). The "white" roselle has been found heavily
infested with the cocoa beetle, Steirastoma breve
Sulzer, in Trinidad, with a lighter infestation of
the red roselle in an intermixed planting (26).
Occasional minor pests are scales, Coccus hesper-
idum and Hemichionaspis aspidistrae, on stems
and branches; yellow aphid, Aphis gossypii, on
leaves and flower buds; and the cotton stainer,
Dysdercus suturellus, on ripening calyces (62).
In Florida, mildew (Oidium) may require con
trol. Late in the season, leaves on some Philippine
plants have appeared soft and shriveled; and
Phoma sabdariffae Sacc. has also done minimal
damage (63).
Harvesting
For herbage purposes, the plants may be cut
off six weeks after transplanting, leaving only 3
to 4 in. of stem in the field. A second cutting is
made 4 weeks later and a third after another 4
weeks. Then the shorn plants are thinned out—
two of every three rows removed—and the remain
ing plants left to grow and develop fruit as a sec
ond product.
Calyces are harvested when full grown but still
tender and, at this stage, are easily snapped off by
hand. They are easier to break off in the morning
than at the end of the day (49). If harvesting is
overdue and the stems have toughened, clippers
must be used.
The fruits of roselle ripen progressively from
the lowest to the highest. Harvesting of seeds takes
place when the lower and middle tiers of the last
of the fruits are allowed to mature, at which time
the plants are cut down, stacked for a few days,
then threshed between canvas sheets (15).
422 FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY, 1974
Yield
Calyx production per plant has ranged from 3
lbs. in California to 4 lbs. in Puerto Rico and 16
lbs. in South Florida (49). In Hawaii, roselle
intercropped with rubber yielded 16,800 kg. per
hectare, 19,000 kg. when planted alone (63). Dual-
purpose plantings can yield 17,000 kg. of herbage
in 3 cuttings and, later, 6,300 kg. of calyces (63).
Food Value
Nutritionists have found roselle calyces as sold
in Central American markets to be high in calcium,
niacin, riboflavin and iron (33, 34). Samples ana
lyzed in Guatemala yielded, per 100 g.:
moisture, 9.2 g.; ether extract, 2.61 g.; crude
fiber, 12.0 g.; nitrogen, 1.146 g.; ash, 6.90 mg. ;
calcium, 1,263 mg.; phosphorus, 273.2 mg.;
iron, 8.98 mg.; carotene, .029 mg.; thiamine,
.117 mg.; riboflavin, .277 mg.; niacin, 3.765
mg.; ascorbic acid total, 6.7 mg. (34).
Citric acid, d-malic acid, tartaric acid and
hibiscic acid are also present (4, 25a).
Busson shows amino acid content as follows
(N = 16 p. 100): arginine, 3.6; cystine, 1.3;
histidine, 1.5; isoleucine, 3.0; leucine, 5.0; lysine
3.9; methionine, 1.0; phenylalanine, 3.2; threo-
nine, 3.0; tryptophane, —; tyrosine, 2.2; valine,
3.8; aspartic acid, 16.3; glutamic acid, 7.2;
alanine, 3.7 glycine, 3.8; proline, 5.6; serine,
3.5 (12).
Fresh leaves contain: 86.2% moisture (4); 1.7
to 3.2% protein (59); 1.1% fat; 10% carbohy
drate; 1% mineral matter; .18% calcium; .04%
phosphorus; .0054% iron; 1.25% malic acid. The
seeds contain: 12.9% moisture; 3.29% nitrogen;
16.8% fatty oil; 16.8% cellulose; 15.8% pento-
sans; 11.1% starch (4).
Other Constituents
The dried calyces contain the flavonoids gos-
sypetine, hibiscetine and sabdaretine (25a). The
major pigment, formerly reported as hibiscin, has
been identified as daphniphylline. Small amounts
of delphinidin 3-monoglucoside, cyanidin 3-mono-
glucoside (chrysanthemin), and delphinidin are
also present (52a). Toxicity is slight (25a).
Medicinal Value
In India, Africa and Mexico, all above-ground
parts of the roselle plant are valued in native
medicine. Infusions of the leaves or calyces are re
garded as diuretic, choleretic, febrifugal and hy-
potensive, decreasing the viscosity of the blood and
stimulating intestinal peristalsis (40). Pharmacog-
nosists in Senegal recommend roselle extract for
lowering blood pressure (25a). In 1962, Sharaf
confirmed the hypotensive activity of the calyces
and found them antispasmodic, anthelmintic and
antibacterial as well (51). In 1964, the aqueous
extract was found effective against Ascaris gal-
linarum in poultry. Three years later, Sharaf and
co-workers showed that both the aqueous extract
and the coloring matter of the calyces are lethal
to Mycobacterium tuberculosis (52). In experi
ments with domestic fowl, roselle extract decreased
the rate of absorption of alcohol and so lessened
its effect on the system (61). In Guatemala, roselle
"ade" is a "favorite remedy for the after effects
of drunkenness'' (57).
In East Africa, the infusion, calted "Sudan
tea", is taken to relieve coughs (17). Roselle juice,
with salt, pepper, asafetida and molasses, is taken
as a remedy for biliousness (45).
The heated leaves are applied to cracks in the
feet and a lotion prepared from them is used on
sores and wounds. The seeds are said to be di
uretic and tonic in action (17) and the brownish-
yellow (4) seed oil is claimed to heal sores on
camels (17). In India, a decoction of the seeds is
given to relieve dysuria, strangury and mild cases
of dyspepsia and debility (45). Brazilians attrib
ute stomachic, emollient and resolutive properties
to the bitter roots (27).
Handling and Preparation for Use
Rolfs, in 1929, reported that fresh roselle
calyces, as harvested, were successfully shipped by
rail to Washington for retail sale and he judged
that they could stand rail transport to any markets
east of the Mississippi (49). John Ripperton of
the Hawaiian Experiment Station maintained that,
for jelly- and wine-making, it is unnecessary to
take out the seed capsule (31), but neglecting to
do so may result in a "stringy" product (2) which
would be contaminated with the minute hairs from
the surface of the capsule and these hairs are
quite likely to be injurious (7).
Roselle calyces are best prepared for use by
washing, then making an incision around the
tough base of the calyx below the bracts to free
and remove it with the seed capsule attached. The
calyces are then ready for immediate use or may
be frozen (31) or dried in the sun (67, 68) or by
artificial means for out-of-season supply, market-
MORTON: THE ROSELLE 423
ing or export. In Mexico today, the dried calyces
are packed for sale in imprinted, plastic bags. For
retailing in Africa, dried roselle is pressed into
solid cakes or balls. In Senegal, the dried calyces
are squeezed into great balls weighing 80 kg. for
shipment to Europe (6). Eleven pounds of fresh
calyces dehydrate to one pound of dried roselle
which is equal to the fresh for most culinary pur
poses (4).
The herbage is apparently mostly utilized in
the fresh state though Wester proposed that it be
"evaporated and compressed" for export from the
Philippines (63).
Food, Feed and Beverage Uses
Fresh roselle calyces may be merely chopped
and added to fruit salads. In Africa, they are fre
quently cooked as a side-dish eaten with pulverized
peanuts (69). For stewing as sauce or filling for
tarts (22) or pies, they may be left intact, if
tender, and cooked with l1^ cups of sugar for
Fig. 4. Dried roselle calyces, as sold on Mexican markets, are mainly used to make a popular "ade", but are equal to the fresh for most purposes. Photo by Julia Morton
424 FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY, 1974
every 6 cups of calyces (pressed down firmly)
(31). The product will be almost indistinguishable
from cranberry sauce in taste and appearance
(49). For making a finer-textured sauce or juice,
sirup, jam, marmalade, relish, chutney or jelly,
the calyces may be first chopped in a wooden bowl
or passed through a meat grinder. Or the calyces,
after cooking, may be pressed through a sieve
(37). Mrs. T. S. Hilton in Nassau, Bahamas, rec
ommends steaming the roselle with a little water
till soft before adding the sugar, then boiling for
15 minutes (24).
Roselle sauce or sirup may be added to pud
dings, cake frosting, gelatins and salad dressing
(18), also poured over gingerbread, pancakes,
waffles or ice cream. For jelly, % lb. of sugar is
required for each pint of extracted juice (49).
Generally, it is not necessary to add pectin to
make a firm jelly. In fact, the calyces possess
3.19% pectin (4) and, in West Pakistan, roselle
has been recommended as a source of pectin for
the fruit-preserving industry (46).
Juice made by cooking 4 quarts of calyces with
10 cups of water (or less, depending on strength
desired) is used for cold drinks and may be frozen
or bottled if not for immediate needs. In sterilized,
sealed bottles or jars it keeps well providing no
sugar has been added (49). In the West Indies and
tropical America, roselle is prized primarily for
the cooling, lemonade-like beverage made from the
calyces (16, 56). This is still "one of the most
popular summer drinks of Mexico", as Rose ob
served in 1899 (50). In Egypt, roselle "ade" is
consumed cold in the summer, hot in winter. In
Jamaica, a traditional Christmas drink is pre
pared by putting roselle into an earthenware jug
with a little grated ginger and sugar as desired,
pouring boiling water over it and letting it stand
overnight. The liquid is drained off and served with
ice and often with a dash of rum (5). A similar
spiced drink has long been made by natives of
West Tropical Africa (17).
Fermented, the juice yields an excellent wine.
Mrs. Robert Newcomb of Homestead, Florida,
made a fine product by boiling a bushel of calyces,
straining the juice and pouring into a 5-gal. glass
bottle, adding 12 lbs. of sugar by funnel and %
cake of fresh yeast, corking and siphoning until
thoroughly "worked". (37)
The dried calyces are utilized in Europe to
make extracts for flavoring liqueurs. In the United
States, F&DA regulations permit the use of the
extracts in alcoholic beverages (21). In India and
Burma, roselle is sometimes used as a dye (11).
The young leaves and tender stems of roselle
are eaten raw in salads (19) or cooked as greens
(38, 64) alone or in combination with other vege
tables (60) or with meat or fish (10). They are
also added to curries as seasoning (25). The leaves
of green roselle are marketed in large quantities
in Dakar, West Africa (6).
The juice of the boiled and strained leaves and
stems is utilized for the same purposes as the
juice extracted from the calyces (49, 65). Wester
wrote in 1920: "The utilization of the herbage of
the roselle for the wholesale manufacture of a
wholesome, cheap wine was conceived by the writer
several years ago before Prohibition was enacted
in the United States. This aspect of the wholesale
culture of the roselle cannot, of course, be con
sidered within the jurisdiction of the United States
at present." However, he envisioned a great de
mand for roselle in the manufacture of soft drinks
(63).
The commercial potential of roselle has yet to
be fully realized, but the time may have arrived
when mass production of the herbage for beverage
use may be feasible.
The seeds are somewhat bitter but have been
ground to a meal for human food in Africa and
have also been roasted as a substitute for coffee
(61). The residue remaining after extraction of
oil by parching, soaking and pounding the seeds or
by crushing and boiling them, is eaten in soup or
blended with bean meal in patties (17). It is high
in protein and valued as cattle feed when available
in quantity (4). The seeds are considered excellent
feed for chickens (30).
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