Qiu Kui

Qiu Kui most commonly denotes Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench (Malvaceae), okra, an erect annual herb 1 to 2 m tall with palmately five- to seven-lobed leaves, large solitary axillary flowers with pale yellow petals and a dark maroon center, and elongated ridged green capsules containing many round gray-green seeds. The closely related Abelmoschus manihot (L.) Medik., aibika or sunset hibiscus, is also marketed under the name Huang Shu Kui or Qiu Kui Hua and is the more commonly medicinal of the two, native across southern China and used for nephritis. The plants are mucilaginous in all parts. In traditional Chinese medicine the flowers, seeds, and roots are sweet, cool, and slippery, entering the Bladder and Large Intestine channels; they clear heat, promote urination, resolve toxicity, and soothe the throat, and are used for urinary disturbance, edema, sore throat, swelling, and as a folk remedy for chronic glomerulonephritis (notably A. manihot).