A genus of tropical plants in the mallow family, including okra and musk mallow; valued for seeds and fiber.
From Arabic 'abu-l-mosk' meaning 'father of musk', referring to the musky scent of seeds; Linnaean botanical Latin adaptation.
The Arabic name 'abu-l-mosk' survives in this scientific term—showing how global trade in spices shaped botanical nomenclature!
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