Corchorus capsularis

White jute

Family Tiliaceae

Corchorus capsularis, white jute (C. capsularis 1), is a herbaceous annual plant, 3-4 m tall, with alternate, lanceolate and serrate leaves; and small yellow flowers, solitary or in small cymes, with 10 or more stamens and a superior ovary. The fruit is a capsule, 1-2 cm across, containing small seeds.

Distribution
White jute is a native of southern China and has spread from there to Bengal and Bangladesh. It has been taken to many tropical countries, but the production was seldom successful outside the Ganges and Bramaputhra delta.

Use
The soft bast fibres (C. capsularis 2) (C. capsularis 5) are weaker than those of hemp (Cannabis sativa) or flax (Linum usitatissimum). The use of it was insignificant, until in the first half of the 19th century it was discovered how to spin it. Today, most of the white jute is used for coarse woven fabrics used for making bags and sacks (C. capsularis 4); other applications are carpet yarns, backing for linoleum and carpets, awnings and tents.

Jute is harvested about 4 month after planting. The plants are tied into bundles and retted by putting them in water. During retting the soft tissues are broken down by bacterial action and the fibre bundles can be separated from the stem. This process takes about 10 days. The quality of the obtained fibre depends on its strength, length, lustre and uniformity. Over 90% of the world’s jute is produced in Bengal (C. capsularis 3). The US is the largest importer.