Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa) is a species of flowering plant in the genus Hibiscus that is native to Africa, most likely West Africa and also found in India especially Maharashtra with local name ambali. In the 16th and early 17th centuries it was spread to the West Indies and Asia, respectively, where it has since become naturalized in many places. The stems are used for the production of bast fibre and the dried cranberry-tasting calyces are commonly steeped to make a popular infusion known as carcade. Description Roselle is an annual or perennial herb or woody-based subshrub, growing to tall. The leaves are deeply three- to five-lobed, long, arranged alternately on the stems. The flowers are in diameter, white to pale yellow with a dark red spot at the base of each petal, and have a stout, conspicuous calyx at the base, wide, enlarging to and becoming fleshy and a deep crimson red as the fruit matures, which takes about six months. Names Asia Roselle is known as karkadeh (كركديه) in Arabic, chin baung (ချဉ်ပေါင်) by the Burmese, luoshen hua (洛神花) in Chinese, kraceī́yb () in Thai), ສົ້ມພໍດີ /sőm phɔː diː/ in Lao, ស្លឹក​ជូរ /slɜk cuː/ សណ្តាន់​ទេស /sɑndan tẹːh/, ម្ជូរ​បារាំង /məcuː baraŋ/, or ម្ជូរ​ព្រឹក /məcuː prɨk/ in Khmer, and cây quế mầu, cây bụp giấm, or cây bụt giấm in Vietnamese. South-East Asia including Northeastern India and Mainland South Asia Roselle is known as Pundi Palle / Pundi Soppu (ಪುಂಡಿ ಪಲ್ಯ / ಪುಂಡಿ ಸೊಪ್ಪು) in Kannada, Hoilfa (হইলফা) in Sylheti and Chukur (চুকুর), Amlamadhur (অম্লমধুর) in Bengali. Also known as Tengamora (টেঙামৰা) by various indigenous ethnic groups of Assam, dachang or datchang by Atongs, mwita among the Bodo(another native ethnicity of Assam), amile among Chakmas mostly in Chittagong, Gal•da among Garos, Hanserong among Karbi (an indigenous group of Asaam), among Lotha of Nagaland Hantserup, mathippuli (മത്തിപ്പുളി) and pulivenda (പുളിവെണ്ട) in Malayalam, ambadi (अंबाडी) in Maharashtra, okhreo among Maos, sillo sougri among Meitei, बेलचण्डा (belchanda) among Nepalese, and khata palanga (ଖଟାପାଳଙ୍ଗ) Jagatsinghpur and Cuttack districts and takabhendi (ଟକଭେଣ୍ଡି) in Odia in the Balasore district of Odisha, pulicha keerai (புளிச்சகீரை) in Tamil and gongura (గోంగూర) in Telugu. Anthur Sen(roselle red) or Lakher Anthur in Mizo, Hmiakhu Saipa(roselle red) or Matu Hmiakhu in Mara in Mizoram, India and Chin State, Myanmar. It is called Ya Pung by the Marma people. In the Chota Nagpur region, it is known as "Kudrum" or "Dhepa saag" in