Jew's Marrow

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• jute
• white jute

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Rhizanota cannabina

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and is classified under the phylum Streptophyta within the class Equisetopsida. As a member of the subclass Magnoliidae and the order Malvales, it is specifically situated in the family Malvaceae. Finally, its taxonomic identity is defined by the genus Corchorus.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a widespread distribution across several key tropical regions. In West-Central Tropical Africa, its presence is noted around the Gulf of Guinea Islands. It can also be found in Northeast Tropical Africa within Somalia and throughout East Tropical Africa in Tanzania. Moving toward the ocean, the species is distributed across the Western Indian Ocean. Specifically, it inhabits the islands of Mauritius and Réunion.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Corchorus capsularis is characterized by its ability to thrive within an Área Antrópica (anthropic area), where human activities and land modifications significantly shape its distribution. This species frequently colonizes disturbed environments, such as agricultural lands, cultivated fields, and areas adjacent to human settlements, where soil disturbance and nutrient fluctuations are common. Its ecological presence in these anthropogenic landscapes suggests a high degree of adaptability to modified soil structures and varying levels of moisture often found in human-managed ecosystems. By establishing itself in these human-influenced zones, the plant leverages the ecological niches created by land clearing and irrigation, allowing it to persist in landscapes that have been transitioned from natural wilderness to human-dominated habitats.

Habitat :

Área Antrópica

Life history

The life history of Corchorus capsularis is characterized by an annual lifecycle, meaning the plant completes its entire biological development—from germination to seed production and death—within a single growing season. The process begins with the germination of seeds in moist, warm environments, typically in alluvial or swampy soils. Following germination, the plant undergoes a rapid vegetative growth phase, characterized by the development of slender, elongated stems and lanceolate leaves. As the growing season progresses, the plant transitions into its reproductive stage, producing small, yellowish flowers that facilitate pollination. After successful fertilization, the plant develops fruit in the form of capsule-like schizocarps containing numerous seeds. Once the seeds have matured and are dispersed, the individual plant reaches the end of its life cycle, ensuring the continuation of the species through the next generation of seeds.

Lifecycle :

annual

Morphology

The morphology of Corchorus capsularis is characterized by its growth form as a non-woody herb. It is a self-supporting plant that does not function as a climber, liana, or vine, nor does it act as an epiphyte or a parasite, maintaining an independent existence as a terrestrial species. The plant exhibits significant variation in stature, with a minimum height of 1 m, a mean height of 2.5 m, and a maximum height reaching up to 5 m.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

herb

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

5 m

Plant height mean:

2.5 m

Plant height min:

1 m

Woodiness :

non-woody

Physiology

The physiology of Corchorus capsularis is characterized by a C3 photosynthetic pathway, which dictates its carbon fixation processes and metabolic efficiency in various environmental conditions. The morphological expression of its foliage exhibits significant variability in size, with leaf lengths ranging from a minimum of 5 cm to a maximum of 12 cm, maintaining an average leaf length of approximately 8.5 cm. Furthermore, the plant does not function as a nitrogen fixer, relying instead on the uptake of available nitrogen from the surrounding soil to support its growth and development.

Leaf length max:

12 cm

Leaf length mean:

8.5 cm

Leaf length min:

5 cm

Nitrogen fixer :

no

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Reproduction

The reproduction of Corchorus capsularis is characterized by a biotic pollination syndrome, primarily driven by insect vectors. The plant produces fruits that exhibit highly consistent morphological dimensions, with a mean fruit length of 1 cm and a mean fruit width of 1 cm; these measurements are uniform across the minimum, mean, and maximum ranges, all recorded at 1 cm. The resulting seeds are notably small, with a mean seed mass of 0.002575 g. The variation in seed weight is relatively narrow, ranging from a minimum mass of 0.00155 g to a maximum mass of 0.0036 g, facilitating efficient dispersal and establishment within its ecological niche.

Fruit length max:

1 cm

Fruit width max:

1 cm

Pollination syndrome :

insect

Pollination syndrome :

biotic

Seed mass max:

0.0036 g

Seed mass mean:

0.002575 g

Seed mass min:

0.00155 g

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Chemicals

Corchorus capsularis has 14 reported phytochemicals identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Sterols, (+)-Sesamin, Cardiac Glycosides, Carotenoids, Fatty acids.

Sterols

1. Natural product research
2. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland)

(+)-Sesamin

1. Chemistry & biodiversity

Cardiac Glycosides

1. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland)

Carotenoids

1. Natural product research

Fatty acids

1. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland)

Flavonoids

1. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland)

Linoleic

1. Natural product research

Lutein

1. Natural product research

Phenols

1. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland)

TOCOPHEROL

1. Natural product research

Activities

Corchorus capsularis has 12 reported activities identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Analgesic, Antibacterial, Anticancer, Anticonvulsant, Antidiabetic.

Analgesic

1. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland)

Antibacterial

1. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland)

Anticancer

1. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland)

Anticonvulsant

1. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland)

Antidiabetic

1. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland)

Antinociceptive

1. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland)

Antiobesity

1. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland)

Antioxidant

1. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland)

Antipyretic

1. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland)

Antitumor

1. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland)

Medicinal Uses

Corchorus capsularis has 5 reported medicinal uses identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include Plasmodium falciparum, ascites, fever, malaria, tumors.

Most Reported Uses

Preparations