Corchorus

Corchorus is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family Malvaceae, comprising several dozen species native to tropical and subtropical regions of Asia, Africa, and the Americas. The best-known species are Corchorus capsularis (white jute) and Corchorus olitorius (tossa jute), cultivated for their long bast fibers and, in some regions, for edible leaves.

Description: Plants are annuals or short-lived perennials with slender, branching stems. Leaves are alternate, simple, with stipules; flowers are small and yellow, usually solitary or in short cymes. The fruit is a four-lobed capsule containing several seeds. Leaves of some species are harvested as leafy vegetables; C. olitorius leaves are used as molokhia in Middle Eastern and African cuisines.

Cultivation and fiber: Jute fiber is obtained from the bast of the stems after retting. C. capsularis yields white jute; C. olitorius yields tossa jute, which tends to be finer in some conditions. Bangladesh and India dominate global production, with other producers including China, Thailand, and several African countries. Fiber is coarse, strong, and biodegradable, used for sacks, twine, carpets, geotextiles, and upholstery backing. Retting methods include water retting, dew retting, and chemical retting; retting and processing can impact environmental emissions.

Other uses and notes: Cultivated leaves are used as vegetables; some species have medicinal or traditional uses. In some regions, Corchorus species are grown as cover crops and for soil stabilization.

Taxonomy: Corchorus is in the Malvaceae family, previously classified in Tiliaceae. The genus includes about 40–50 described species, though estimates vary.