Hibiscus syriacus L.

Shrub

Hibiscus species are herbs, undershrubs or shrubs. Stems woody, branches densely or sparsely pubescent or tomentose with simple, scarbid or stellate hairs or glabrous. Leaves simple, palmilobed or palmiparted, alternate, midrib usually with obscure nectarines, 3 or more basal veins, margins crenate-dentate or entire, apex acute to acuminate, petiolate, stipules linear, subulate, ovate or foliaceous. Inflorescence usually axillary or terminal, solitary or racemes or lax panicles, by the reduction of the upper leaves. Flowers bisexual, pedicel slender, epicalyx 3 or more, base connate, rarely absent, calyx 5 lobed, distinctly nerved, campanulate, base connate, valvate, sometimes with nectarines, persistent, corolla showy and large, yellow, white, orange, purple, red, blue and dark colored at the base, campanulate or cylindric. Staminal column usually shorter or almost as long petals, base wide, filaments apex truncate or 5-dentate, anthers basifixed, throughout or in the upper half. Ovary superior, 5 locular, rarely up to 10 locular, axile placentation, ovules 3 or more per locule, style 1 or 5 branched distally, stigma discoid, capitate or not distinct. Fruit capsule, globose-cylindrical, apex apiculate, acute or acuminate, dehiscing loculicidally, glabrous or hairy. Seed many, reniform or subglobose, smooth, glabrous or hairy.

Flowering & Fruiting: June-October

Hibiscus species flowers are complete, bisexual, i.e., with functional male (androecium) and female (gynoecium), including stamens, carpels and ovary. Pollination is entomophilous i.e., by insects, or cleistogamy i.e., by self or allogamy i.e., by cross pollination. Flowering/Fruiting: June—October.

Seeds may be dispersed by autochory i.e., self dispersal, anemochory i.e., wind dispersal, zoochory i.e., dispersal by birds or animals, anthropochory i.e., dispersal by humans.

Shrubs, bushy and deciduous, about 2-6 m tall. Stems woody, erect, branchlets densely pubescent with stellate hairs, becoming glabrous ultimately. Leaves simple, alternate, palmilobed or palmiparted, broadly ovate-deltoid to rhomboid-ovate, about 4-8 x 2-5 cm across, base cuneate 3-5 veined, midrib usually with obscure nectarines, usually 3 lobed, margins coarsely dentate, apex acute or subacute, with stellate pubescent both above and beneath, ultimately becoming glabrescent, petiole puberulous, about 0.8-2 cm long, stipules subulate-lanceolate, filiform, Inflorescence usually axillary, solitary, by the reduction of the upper leaves. Flowers bisexual, pedicel slender, stellate pubescent, about 5-15 mm long, epicalyx 6-8, base connate, about 1-2 cm long, calyx 5 lobed, distinctly nerved, campanulate, lobes broadly lanceolate, base connate, apex acute to acuminate, valvate, about 12-20 mm long, corolla showy and large, yellow, white, and purple at the base, campanulate, petals obovate, stellate outside, about 3.5-4.5 cm long. Staminal column about 2-4 cm long, anthers basifixed, throughout. Ovary superior, 5 locular, axile placentation, stigma discoid, capitate. Fruit capsule, globose-cylindrical, about 1.5-2.5 cm across, apex obtuse, abruptly beaked, dehiscing loculicidally, with hispid. Seeds reniform, pilose, brownish.

Deciduous shrubs to small trees, 3-6 m tall; branches pubescent with stellate hairs. Leaves simple, alternate, spiral; stipules ca. 6 mm, filiform-subulate, pilose; petiole ca. 5-25 mm, stellate pubescent adaxially; lamina ca. 3-10 x 1.5-5 cm, deltoid-ovate to rhomboid-ovate, often 3-lobed, cuneate at base, acute at apex, margin irregularly incised, chartaceous, abaxially puberulent along veins or glabrous, adaxially glabrous; secondary nerves 3-5 pairs. Flowers axillary, solitary, large; pedicels ca. 4-14 mm, stellate puberulent; Epicalyx lobes 6-8, filiform, ca. 6-20 × 0.5-2 mm, free, connate at base only, densely stellate puberulent, apex obtuse or acute; calyx campanulate, ca. 14-20 mm, densely stellate puberulent, lobes 5, triangular; corolla ca. 5-6 cm in diam., blue-purple, violet, white, pink, or reddish, sometimes with darker centre, campanulate, sometimes double; petals ca.3.5-4.5 cm, obovate, pilose and stellate villous abaxially; staminal column ca. 3 cm long, antheriferous towards base, white; style glabrous. Capsule ca. 1.5-2 cm long, ellipsoid, yellowish stellate pubescent, beaked. Seeds ca. 2-4 mm long, reniform, glabrous with yellow-white hairs abaxially.

Hibiscus species are susceptible to various insect pests, virus and fungi, affecting leaves, fruits and roots.

Notes: Western Ghats, High Altitude, Cultivated, Native of China

Cultivated

Cultivated in gardens.

Throughout Assam

Not evaluated (IUCN).

Bark, leaves, roots, flower and seeds are used in folk medicine. Stem yields good fibre.

Stem yields strong fibres.

Bark, roots, leaves, decoction of flower and seeds variously used in medicine.