View source for Kenaf

{{redirect|Ambadi|lake in South Sudan|Lake Ambadi}}
{{Short description|Species of flowering plant}}
{{Speciesbox
|name=Kenaf
|image=Hibiscus cannabinus0.jpg
|genus=Hibiscus
|species=cannabinus
|authority=[[Carl Linnaeus|L.]]
|synonyms_ref=<ref name="POWO_560068-1" />
|synonyms={{Collapsible list|
*''Abelmoschus congener'' {{small|(Schumach. & Thonn.) Walp.}}
*''Abelmoschus verrucosus'' {{small|(Guill. & Perr.) Walp.}}
*''Furcaria cannabina'' {{small|Ulbr.}}
*''Furcaria cavanillesii'' {{small|Kostel.}}
*''Hibiscus asper'' {{small|Hook.f.}}
*''Hibiscus cannabinus'' var. ''chevalieri'' {{small|Hochr.}}
*''Hibiscus cannabinus'' var. ''punctatus'' {{small|(A.Rich.) Hochr.}}
*''Hibiscus cannabinus'' var. ''simplex'' {{small|A.Howard & G.Howard}}
*''Hibiscus cannabinus'' var. ''tripartitus'' {{small|(Forssk.) Chiov.}}
*''Hibiscus cannabinus'' var. ''viridis'' {{small|A.Howard & G.Howard}}
*''Hibiscus congener'' {{small|Schumach. & Thonn.}}
*''Hibiscus cordofanus'' {{small|Turcz.}}
*''Hibiscus henriquesii'' {{small|Pires de Lima}}
*''Hibiscus malangensis'' {{small|Baker f.}}
*''Hibiscus obtusatus'' {{small|Schumach.}}
*''Hibiscus sabdariffa'' subsp. ''cannabinus'' {{small|(L.) Panigrahi & Murti}}
*''Hibiscus tripartitus'' {{small|Forssk.}}
*''Hibiscus vanderystii'' {{small|De Wild.}}
*''Hibiscus verrucosus'' {{small|Guill. & Perr.}}
*''Hibiscus verrucosus'' var. ''punctatus'' {{small|A.Rich.}}
*''Hibiscus vitifolius'' {{small|Mill.}}
*''Hibiscus wightianus'' {{small|Wall.}}
*''Ketmia glandulosa'' {{small|Moench}}
}}}}
'''Kenaf''' [etymology: Persian],<ref>"kenaf." Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged. Merriam-Webster, 2002. http://unabridged.merriam-webster.com {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130210103302/http://unabridged.merriam-webster.com/ |date=2013-02-10 }}</ref> '''''Hibiscus cannabinus''''', is a plant in the family [[Malvaceae]] also called '''Deccan hemp''' and '''Java jute'''. ''Hibiscus cannabinus'' is in the genus ''[[Hibiscus]]'' and is native to [[Africa]], though its exact origin is unknown.<ref name="POWO_560068-1" >{{cite POWO |id=560068-1 |title=''Hibiscus cannabinus'' L. |access-date=30 October 2022 }}</ref> The name also applies to the [[fibre]] obtained from this plant. Kenaf is one of the allied fibres of [[jute]] and shows similar characteristics.

==Common names==
*Europe:
**English: Deccan hemp, Java jute, wild stockrose<ref name="POWO_560068-1" />
**[[French language|French]]: chanvre de Bombay, chanvre du Deccan, chanvre de Guinée, chanvre de Gambo, chanvre de roselle, jute de Java, jute de Siam, kénaf, ketmie à feuilles de chanvre ([[Belgium]]), roselle
**[[German language|German]]: Ambari, Dekkanhanf, Gambohanf, Hanfeibisch, Javajute, Kenaf, Rosellahanf, Roselle, Siamjute
**[[Portuguese language|Portuguese]]: cânhamo rosella, juta-de-java, juta-do-sião, quenafe
**[[Spanish language|Spanish]]: cáñamo de la India, cáñamo de gambo, cáñamo Rosella, pavona encendida, yute de Java, yute de Siam
*Americas:
**Brazilian Portuguese: papoula-de-são-francisco, cânhamo-brasileiro, quenafe
*Africa:
**[[Afrikaans language|Afrikaans]]: ''stokroos''
**[[Egypt]] and [[North Africa|Northern Africa]]: ''til, teel'', or ''teal تيل''
**[[West Africa]]: ''dah, gambo'', and ''rama'' <ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=p0kGDgvPMcYC&pg=PA175 |title=Le rôle des cultures commerciales dans l'évolution de la société senoufo (Sud du Mali)|isbn=9782905081117 |access-date=2018-09-29 |archive-date=2022-10-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221030041403/https://books.google.com/books?id=p0kGDgvPMcYC&lpg=PA175&ots=3PxTdG6Ozz&%2F |url-status=live |last1=Sanogo |first1=Bakary |year=1989 |publisher=Presses Univ de Bordeaux }}</ref>
*Asia
**Himachal (Pangolu): ''sunn'' {{citation needed|date=November 2016}}
**[[Lao language|Lao]]: ປໍແກ້ວ {{IPA|lo|pɔː kɛ̂ːw|}}
**India (Manipur): ''Shougri''
**India (Bihari): ''Kudrum''
**India (Bengal): ''mesta'' 
**India (Kannada): ''Pundi Palle'' 
**India (Marathi): ''Ambaadi'' <ref>[http://www.gardentia.net/malva_004.htm www.gardentia.net] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100223233934/http://www.gardentia.net/malva_004.htm |date=February 23, 2010 }}</ref>
**India (Tamil): ''pulicha keerai'' (புளிச்சைக் கீரை) ''Palungu'' (பலுஂகு)
**India (Telugu): [[Gongura]], ''Taag-Ambadi'',<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://gardentia.net/2012/12/06/taag-ambadi-4/ |title=www.gardentia.net |access-date=2015-06-05 |archive-date=2015-10-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151019124020/http://gardentia.net/2012/12/06/taag-ambadi-4/ |url-status=live }}</ref> ''Puntikura''
**[[Iran]] (Persian): ''Kanaf'' کنف
**[[Taiwan]]: ''ambari'' {{citation needed|date=June 2015}}
**[[China]]: ''Hóng Má ''(红麻; red hemp); officially changed from ''Yáng Má'' (洋麻; foreign hemp) during the [[Cultural Revolution]], 1966–1976.
Other names include ''Bimli'', ''Ambary'', ''Ambari [[hemp (disambiguation)|Hemp]]'', and ''Bimlipatum Jute''.

According to Miyake and Suzuta (1937), there are more than 129 names for kenaf worldwide.

==Characteristics==
[[Image:Kenaf.jpg|left|thumb|Dried kenaf stems]]
It is an [[annual plant|annual]] or [[biennial plant|biennial]] [[herbaceous]] plant (rarely a short-lived [[perennial plant|perennial]]) growing to {{Convert|1.5-3.5|m|ft|abbr=on}} tall with a woody base. The [[Plant stem|stems]] are {{Convert|1-2|cm||abbr=on|sigfig=1}} diameter, often but not always branched. The [[leaf|leaves]] are {{Convert|10-15|cm||abbr=on|sigfig=1}} long and variable in shape; leaves near the base of the stems are deeply lobed (3 to 7 lobes) and leaves near the top of the stem are shallowly lobed or unlobed [[lanceolate]]. The [[flower]]s are {{Convert|8-15|cm||abbr=on|sigfig=1}} in diameter. The flower base color can be white, yellow, or purple, and the white and yellow flowers are dark purple in the center. The [[fruit]] is a [[capsule (fruit)|capsule]] {{Convert|2|cm||abbr=on|sigfig=1}} in diameter and contains several [[seed]]s.

===Fibre===
[[File:Kenaf long fiber from the bast.jpg|thumb|Kenaf long fibre from the bast]]
The fibres in kenaf are found in the [[Bast fibre|bast]] (bark) and core (wood). The bast constitutes 40% of the plant. "Crude fibre" separated from the bast is multi-cellular, consisting of several individual cells stuck together.<ref>{{citation |url=https://www.ncsu.edu/bioresources/BioRes_06/BioRes_06_4_5260_Paridah_ASZ_Retting_Bast_Fiber_Quality_Review_1312.pdf |title=Retting Process Of Some Bast Plant Fibres And Its Effect On Fibre Quality: A Review |author1=Paridah Md. Tahir |author2=Amel B. Ahmed |author3=Syeed O. A. SaifulAzry |author4=Zakiah Ahmed |year=2011 |journal=BioResources |volume=6 |issue=4 |pages=5260–5281|doi=10.15376/biores.6.4.5260-5281 }}</ref> The individual fibre cells are about 2–6&nbsp;mm long and slender. The cell wall is thick (6.3&nbsp;μm). The core is about 60% of the plant and has fibre cells that are thick (≈38&nbsp;μm) but short (0.5&nbsp;mm) and thin-walled (3&nbsp;μm).<ref>{{Cite book |last=Nanko |first=Hirko |author2=Button, Allan |author3=Hillman, Dave |title=The World of Market Pulp |publisher=WOMP, LLC |year=2005 |location=Appleton, WI, USA |page=258 |isbn=0-615-13013-5}}</ref> [[Paper pulp]] can be produced using the whole stem, and therefore contains both bast and core fibres. The pulp quality is similar to that of [[hardwood]].
[[File:Kenaf Plant.jpg|thumb|Kenaf plant]] 
[[File:Kenaf Plants Many.jpg|thumb|Potted kenaf plants]]

==Uses==
[[Image:Harvesting kenaf plant.jpg|thumb|Harvesting kenaf]]
Kenaf is cultivated for its fibre in [[India]], [[Bangladesh]], [[United States|United States of America]], [[Indonesia]], [[Malaysia]], [[South Africa]], [[Vietnam]], [[Thailand]], parts of [[Africa]], and to a small extent in southeast [[Europe]]. The stems produce two types of fibre: a coarser fibre in the outer layer ([[bast fibre]]), and a finer fibre in the core. The bast fibres are used to make ropes. Kenaf matures in 100 to 200 days. First grown in [[Egypt]] over 3000 years ago, the leaves of the kenaf plant were a component of both human and animal diets, while the bast fibre was used for bags, cordage, and the sails for Egyptian boats. This crop was not introduced into southern Europe until the early 1900s. Today, while the principal farming areas are [[China]] and [[India]], Kenaf is also grown in countries including the US, Mexico, and Senegal.

The main uses of kenaf fibre have been [[rope]], [[twine]], coarse [[cloth]] (similar to that made from [[jute]]), and [[paper]]. In California, Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi, 3,200 acres (13&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>) of kenaf were grown in 1992, most of which was used for animal bedding and feed.

Uses of kenaf fibre include [[engineered wood]]; [[Building insulation|insulation]]; [[clothing]]-grade cloth; soil-less potting mixes; animal bedding; packing material; and material that absorbs oil and liquids. It is also useful as cut bast fibre for blending with resins in the making of plastic composites, as a drilling fluid loss-preventive for oil drilling muds, and for a seeded hydromulch for erosion control. Kenaf can be made into various types of environmental mats, such as seeded grass mats for instant lawns and moldable mats for manufactured parts and containers. [[Panasonic]] has set up a plant in [[Malaysia]] to manufacture kenaf fibre boards and export them to Japan.

Additionally, as part of an overall effort to make vehicles more sustainable, Ford and BMW are making the material for the automobile bodies in part from kenaf. The first implementation of kenaf within a Ford vehicle was in the 2013 [[Ford Escape]].<ref>[http://media.ford.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=35895] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120929103607/http://media.ford.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=35895|date=September 29, 2012}}</ref> The [[BMW i3]] uses kenaf in the black surrounds.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/peterdetwiler/2014/01/29/bmws-i3-a-new-kind-of-electric-vehicle/ |title=BMW's i3: A New Kind of Electric Vehicle |website=[[Forbes]]}}</ref>

The use of kenaf is anticipated to offset 300,000 pounds of oil-based resin per year in North America and should reduce the weight of the door bolsters by 25 percent.

Reported in 2021, Kenaf Ventures, an [[Israel]]i company, is developing and producing sustainable raw materials made from the kenaf plant (Hibiscus cannabinus) in an effort to decarbonize the construction sector without reducing product quality.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.israel21c.org/a-botanical-cure-for-constructions-heavy-carbon-emissions |title=A botanical cure for construction's heavy carbon emissions |date=31 March 2021}}</ref>

===Kenaf seed oil===
Kenaf seeds yield an edible [[vegetable oil]]. The kenaf seed oil is also used for cosmetics, industrial [[lubricants]] and for [[biofuel]] production. Kenaf oil is high in omega [[polyunsaturated fatty acid]]s (PUFAs). Kenaf seed oil contains a high percentage of [[linoleic acid]] (Omega-6) a polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA). Linoleic acid (C18:2) is the dominant PUFA, followed by [[oleic acid]] (C18:1). [[Alpha-linolenic acid]] (C18:3) is present in 2 to 4 percent.

Kenaf seed oil is 20.4% of the total seed weight, similar to that of cotton seed.{{Citation needed|date=January 2010}}
Kenaf Edible Seed Oil Contains:
*[[Palmitic acid]]: 19.1%
*[[Oleic acid]]: 28.0% (Omega-9)
*[[Linoleic acid]]: 45% (Omega-6)
*[[Stearic acid]]: 3.0%
*[[Alpha-linolenic acid]]: 3% (Omega-3)
[[File:Kenaf - New crops new uses new markets - industrial and commercial products from US agriculture (IA yoa1992) (page 118 crop).jpg|thumb|Kenaf used for paper]]

===Kenaf paper===
The most common process to make kenaf paper is using [[soda pulping]] before processing the obtained [[Pulp (paper)|pulp]] in a [[paper machine]].

The use of kenaf in paper production offers various environmental advantages over producing paper from trees. In 1960, the [[USDA]] surveyed more than 500 plants and selected kenaf as the most promising source of [[Tree-free paper|tree-free newsprint]]. In 1970, kenaf newsprint produced in the [[International Paper Company]]'s mill in [[Pine Bluff, Arkansas]], was successfully used by six U.S. newspapers. Printing and writing paper made from the fibrous kenaf plant has been offered in the United States since 1992. Again in 1987, a Canadian mill produced 13 rolls of kenaf newsprint which were used by four U.S. newspapers to print experimental issues. They found that kenaf newsprint<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.treehugger.com/files/2006/08/optimal_treefre.php |title=www.treehugger.com |access-date=2007-05-22 |archive-date=2010-03-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100328130140/http://www.treehugger.com/files/2006/08/optimal_treefre.php |url-status=dead }}</ref> made for stronger, brighter and cleaner pages than standard pine paper with less detriment to the environment. Due partly to kenaf fibres being naturally whiter than tree pulp, less bleaching is required to create a brighter sheet of paper. [[Hydrogen peroxide]], an environmentally-safe bleaching agent that does not create [[Polychlorinated dibenzodioxins|dioxin]], has been used with much success in the [[Bleaching of wood pulp|bleaching]] of kenaf.

Various reports suggest that the energy requirements for producing pulp from kenaf are about 20 percent less than those for [[wood pulp]], mostly due to the lower [[lignin]] content of kenaf. Many of the facilities that now process Southern pine for paper use can be converted to accommodate kenaf.{{Citation needed|date=April 2008}}

An area of {{cvt|1|acre|m2|adj=on}} of kenaf produces 5 to 8 tons of raw plant bast and core fibre in a single growing season. In contrast, {{cvt|1|acre|m2|adj=on}} of forest (in the US) produces approximately 1.5 to 3.5 tons of usable fibre per year. It is estimated that growing kenaf on 5,000 acres (20&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>) can produce enough pulp to supply a paper plant having a capacity of 200 tons per day. Over 20 years, {{cvt|1|acre|m2|adj=on}} of farmland can produce 10 to 20 times the amount of fiber that {{cvt|1|acre|m2|adj=on}} of Southern pine can produce.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://agresearchmag.ars.usda.gov/2000/aug/kenaf |title=usda kenaf uses |access-date=2007-05-22 |archive-date=2007-05-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070528064327/http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/aug00/kenaf0800.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

As one of the world's important [[natural fibre]]s, kenaf is covered by the [[International Year of Natural Fibres]] 2009. The first novel to be published using 100% kenaf paper was ''The Land of Debris and the Home of Alfredo'' by [[Kenn Amdahl]] (1997, Clearwater Publishing Company).<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.biolevel.it/ |title=BIO LEVEL |access-date=2020-10-21 |archive-date=2021-07-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210728142225/https://www.biolevel.it/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[David Brower]], former Executive Director of the [[Sierra Club]], in chapter 8 of his semi-autobiographical environmental book ''Let the Mountains Talk, Let the Rivers Run: A Call to Save the Earth'' (1995, Harper Collins), titled "Forest Revolution", advocated for kenaf paper use and explained its many advantages over wood pulp. The first edition of the book was printed on kenaf paper.

==See also==
*[[International Jute Study Group]]
*[[Ambadi seed oil]]

==Notes==
{{Reflist}}

==References and external links==
*{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20110208082316/http://kenafusa.com/ KenafUSA]}}, Website of Dr. Gerald Feaster (PhD), a Kenaf researcher.
*{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20090715053218/http://www.greenfibernet.com/ Greenfiber Net]}}, A [[Business-to-business|B2B]] platform to promote the use of [[natural fibres]] like kenaf and [[jute]].
*[http://www.kenafsociety.org/ American Kenaf Society (AKS)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040401131030/http://www.kenafsociety.org/ |date=2004-04-01 }}, Founded in 1997 with individuals and organizations working directly or indirectly with kenaf and kenaf-based products, plus those with environmental concerns.
*[http://www.ccgconsultinginc.com/ CCG International (CCG)], Leading International efforts to promote the use of kenaf and allied natural plant fibres.
*{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20090330184808/http://www.jute.org/ International Jute Study Group]}}, An UN collaboration for learning various aspects of [[jute]] and kenaf. Its headquarters is in [[Dhaka]], Bangladesh. It targets business societies in [[India]], [[Bangladesh]], and [[Thailand]].
*[http://www.visionpaper.com/kenaf2.html About the Kenaf Plant], Vision Paper - Gives detailed description of kenaf plant and provides many links to kenaf industry. Pioneers in the kenaf paper industry. Produced first ever chlorine free 100% tree-free kenaf paper in 1992.
*[http://www.kenaf.de Information about Kenaf in German language] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170926041735/http://kenaf.de/ |date=2017-09-26 }}, Provides information on Market Place, News, and Links about Kenaf in German language.
*[http://www.nachwachsende-rohstoffe.info/ Nachwachsende-Rohstoffe] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150117075337/http://www.nachwachsende-rohstoffe.info/ |date=2015-01-17 }}, A German site for Kenaf and other agricultural commodities related articles (Also available in English).
*[https://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/afcm/kenaf.html Alternative Field Crops Manual]
*{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20060924034444/http://www.naa.org/technews/tn950910/p18kenaf.html Kenaf: Taking Root? 1995 article by Brooke Wurst]}}
*[[David Mabberley|Mabberley, D.J.]] 1987. ''The Plant Book. A portable dictionary of the higher plants''. [[Cambridge University Press]], Cambridge. 706 pp.&nbsp;{{ISBN|0-521-34060-8}}.
{{WestAfricanPlants|Hibiscus cannabinus}}

{{Fibers}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q1137540}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Hibiscus]]
[[Category:Fiber plants]]
[[Category:Botanical taxa named by Carl Linnaeus]]
[[Category:Plants described in 1759]]