THE DISTRIBUTION AND BIOECOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF ABELMOSCHUS (ABELMOSCHUS ESCULENTUS L.)

Abelmoschus (Abelmoschus esculentus) or “lady’s finger” belongs to the Malvaceae family and is widely distributed in tropical and subtropical climates. Its historical origin and various names show how significant it is in different parts of the world. Each culture has given it different names based on its expertise: in India, it is called bhindi, in the USA, it is known as gumbo, in the UK, it is referred to as lady’s finger, and in Africa, it is called abelmoschus. This vegetable is not only used in cooking but also in the textile, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical industries.