Malvaceae
Hibiscus

Hibiscus × rosa-sinensis L.

First published in Sp. Pl.: 694 (1753)
This hybrid is accepted
The native range of this hybrid is a cultigen derived from artificial hybrids in the W. Pacific. It is a shrub and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome. The hybrid formula is H. cooperi × H. kaute. It is used to treat unspecified medicinal disorders, as animal food and a medicine, has environmental uses and social uses and for food.

Descriptions

George R. Proctor (2012). Flora of the Cayman Isands (Second Edition). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Note
The commonly cultivated ornamental hibiscus or ‘shoe-black’ occurs in many colour- forms.
Distribution
It is a native of tropical Asia.
[Cayman]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: low confidence
[AERP]

Bernal, R., Gradstein, S.R. & Celis, M. (eds.). 2015. Catálogo de plantas y líquenes de Colombia. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá. http://catalogoplantasdecolombia.unal.edu.co

Distribution
Cultivada en Colombia; Alt. 0 - 2750 m.; Amazonia, Andes, Islas Caribeñas, Llanura del Caribe, Orinoquia, Pacífico, Valle del Cauca, Valle del Magdalena.
Morphology General Habit
Arbusto
[CPLC]

Distribution
Biogeografic region: Amazonia, Andean, Caribbean, Orinoquia, Pacific. Elevation range: 0–2750 m a.s.l. Cultivated in Colombia. Colombian departments: Amazonas, Antioquia, Atlántico, Bogotá DC, Bolívar, Boyacá, Caldas, Caquetá, Casanare, Cauca, Cesar, Chocó, Córdoba, Cundinamarca, Huila, La Guajira, Magdalena, Meta, Nariño, Norte de Santander, Putumayo, Quindío, Risaralda, San Andrés y Providencia, Santander, Sucre, Tolima, Valle del Cauca.
Habit
Shrub.
Ecology
Habitat according IUCN Habitats Classification: forest and woodland, savanna, shrubland, wetlands (inland), artificial - terrestrial.
Vernacular
Astromelia, Cañeno, Choublak, Clavel japonés, Escandalosa, Kokliko wouj, Rosa de cayena, Rose kayenn
[UPFC]

The Useful Plants of Boyacá project

Ecology
Alt. 0 - 2750 m.
Distribution
Cultivated in Colombia.
Conservation
Not Evaluated.
Morphology General Habit
Shrub.
Vernacular
Rose kayenn, choublak, kokliko wouj.
[UPB]

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Morphology General Habit
Small to large shrub with dark green ovate-dentate leaves
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers large, usually red; epicalyx bracts c. 1 cm long; petals erect to spreading; staminal tube longer than petals
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule subglobose
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds sparsely pilose.
Distribution
Cultivated at least in N1 and S2; unknown in a wild state and possibly an ancient hybrid, now much planted throughout the tropics and subtropics, and indoors in temperate areas.
Vernacular
China rose (English)
[FSOM]

Bernal, R., G. Galeano, A. Rodríguez, H. Sarmiento y M. Gutiérrez. 2017. Nombres Comunes de las Plantas de Colombia. http://www.biovirtual.unal.edu.co/nombrescomunes/

Vernacular
alsaciana, árbol de navidad, arrebatamacho, arrematamacho, astromelia, astromelio, aurora, avispa, bailarina, barbegallo, bombillo, bonche, boncheaí, cajeto, canasta, canastilla, canastillo, cañeno, cayena, cayeno, chupeta, clavel japonés, cupón, escandalosa, escandalosa roja, escandaloso, estromelia, estromelio, flor de gallo, fonche, gaúcho, gayeno, gayeno rojo, gólgota, gólgoto, gonche, isleña, júpiter, liberal, malva roja, malvarrosa, malvavisco, navidad, nieve, papo, pavonia, pestañaevieja, resucitado, resucito, roja, roja escandalosa, rojo, rojo doble, rojo nevado, rojo sencillo, rosa, rosa bonche, rosa cayena, rosa china, rosa de Cayena, rosicler, roso, sanjoaquín, tuiyó
[UNAL]

Malvaceae, Bernard Verdcourt & Geoffrey Mwachala. Pavonia, B Verdcourt; Kosteletzkya, OJ Blanchard Jr.; Gossypium, P Fryxell & B Verdcourt. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 2009

Morphology General Habit
Shrub or tree to 5 m.
Morphology Stem
Stems and leaves glabrous
Morphology Leaves
Leaves simple, unlobed, usually green, ocassionaly reddish
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers white, yellow, red with a conspicuously exserted staminal column; double-flowered varieties lack the exserted staminal column
Note
Originally from tropical Asia. This is the most common Hibiscus in cultivation, and is also used as a street tree and as a hedging plant.
[FTEA]

Uses

Use Animal Food
Used as animal food.
Use Environmental
Environmental uses.
Use Gene Sources
Used as gene sources.
Use Food
Used for food.
Use Materials
Used as material.
Use Medicines
Medical uses.
Use Social
Social uses.
[UPFC]

Use Materials Unspecified Materials Chemicals
Materials (State of the World's Plants 2016).
Use Medicines Unspecified Medicinal Disorders
Medicinal (State of the World's Plants 2016, Instituto Humboldt 2014).
[UPB]

Use
Cultivated as an ornamental
[FSOM]

Common Names

English
Chinese Hibiscus
Spanish
Astromelia, clavel japonés, rosa de cayena, cañeno, escandalosa.

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Catálogo de Plantas y Líquenes de Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Somalia

    • Flora of Somalia
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of the Cayman Islands

    • Flora of the Cayman Islands
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Living Collection Database

    • Common Names from Plants and People Africa http://www.plantsandpeopleafrica.com/

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images

  • Universidad Nacional de Colombia

    • ColPlantA database
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Useful Plants and Fungi of Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Useful Plants of Boyacá Project

    • ColPlantA database
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/