Global description
Abelmoschus ficulneus is a fairly tall, erect, sub-woody and sparsely branched plant that can grow over 2 m in height. The leaves are simple, alternate, large, serrated or palmately lobed to often dilated lobes and always rounded at the apex. The terminal inflorescence consists of flowers about 3 cm, spaced apart, white to pink in colour and purple in the center. The fruits are big ellipsoidal capsules, 3 cm to 4 cm long, ending in a short point and containing many dark grey seeds.
Cotyledons
The cotyledons are held by a hirsute petiole, 2.2 to 3.5 cm long. The lamina is cordate, 20 mm long and 22 to 25 mm wide, slightly notched at apex, veined and light green in colour.
First leaves
The first leaves are simple, alternate and petiolated. The lamina is largely oval, cordate at the base, 4 to 6 cm long and 3.5 to 4 cm wide, 5-veined. The margin is almost entire (very little defined lobes until the 3rd leaf).
General habit
Large erect plant, with strong stem and little or no branching. It reaches 2 m in height.
Underground system
It has a taproot system.
Stem
The stem is robust, cylindrical to fluted at the base, hollow, strongly hispid, covered with multicellular hairs.
Leaves
The leaves are simple, alternate, carried by a long petiole (5-8 cm). The leaf blade is broadly ovate, more or less deeply palmately lobed (3-5 lobes) and deeply cordate at the base. The blade is 4 to 10 cm long and wide. The top of the lobe is dilated and rounded. The margin is serrated. Palmately veined with 3-5 ribs. The upper surface is glabrous except for a few long hairs along the veins. The underside is scattered with trifid stellate hairs.
Inflorescence
The inflorescence consists of solitary axillary flowers, shortly stalked, 3 cm in diameter, forming terminal clusters.
Flower
The flower has an epicalyx consisting of 4 rapidly deciduous lobes. The calyx has 5 fused sepals, in the shaped of a spathe open diagonally, ending with fused terminal of the 5 tips of sepals. The corolla has 5 broadly obovate petals, rounded top, white to pink with purple center. The numerous stamens are assembled in a central column surrounding the ovary with 5 loculi surmounted by a style with 5 branches, ending with disc stigmata.
Fruit
The fruit is an oblong, ellipsoid, robust, capsule, pentagonal, pubescent, 3 to 5 cm long and 2 cm in diameter, ending in a short point. It consists of five valves that separate at the top at maturity and containing numerous seeds.
Seed
The seed is globose, 2 mm in diameter. Integument dark gray in colour, furrowed with fine longitudinal ridges covered with fine stellate hairs.