Hibiscus vitifolius L.

Malvaceae, A. W. Exell. Flora Zambesiaca 1:2. 1961

Morphology General Habit

Shrub or perennial herb up to 1·5 m. tall, sometimes scandent or scrambling; stems terete, nearly glabrous or with a very variable indumentum, sometimes tomentose or tomentellous, often glandular, sometimes hispid or stellate-hispid or aculeate and with these different types of hairs occurring in various combinations.

Morphology Leaves

Leaf-lamina 3–15 × 3–15 cm., ovate to suborbicular; not lobed to deeply 3–5 (7)-palmatilobed, with a variable indumentum (as on the stems) but stellatehispid or bifurcate hairs, rather rare on the stems, are more frequent especially on the under surface, margin serrate, base truncate to cordate 5–9-nerved; lobes acute or bluntish; petiole 2–7 (18) cm. long, hairy like the stems; stipules 3–5 mm. long, filiform.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers 5–9 cm. in diam., yellow with a dark reddish or purple centre, solitary or forming terminal racemes by reduction of the upper leaves; peduncle 1–1·5 (5) cm. long, articulated above the middle.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Epicalyx

Epicalyx of c. 10 bracts; bracts 8–10 mm. long, filiform.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx up to 15 mm. long in flower, accrescent, somewhat scarious; lobes up to 15 × 10 mm., broadly elliptic, acuminate, joined to about half-way.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals up to c. 5 × 4·5 cm., glabrous or nearly so.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Staminal tube up to 15 mm. long; free parts of filaments up to 5 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style

Style-branches 1·5–3 mm. long, minutely glandular.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Capsule 10–12 × 12–15 mm. winged, scarious, usually hispid; valves ± aristate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds 2·5 × 1·5 mm., irregularly reniform, glabrous.

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

Type

Lectotype “Habitat in India.”, Herb. Hermann 4: 39, No. 265, designated by Brenan & Exell in Bol. Soc. Brot., sér. 2, 32 : 70 (1958)

Morphology General Habit

Herb to 2 m tall, stems pilose, with or without tubercules, sometimes red-tinged

Morphology Leaves

Leaves ovate, 3–9 × 2.5–10 cm, unlobed or shallowly to deeply 3–5(–7)-lobed, apex acute or acuminate, base cordate or truncate, margin crenate, serrate or undulate, glabrous to pubescent above and below, stellate-hispid or not; petiole 1–12.5 cm long, glabrescent to pilose, tuberculate or not; stipules linear or filiform, 3–8 × 0.3 mm, sparsely pilose

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers solitary in leaf axils and in terminal cymes; pedicel 0.6–3.3 cm, articulated at the middle, pubescent-pilose, rarely tuberculate; epicalyx of 8–12 filiform bracts, 7–12 × 0.1–0.5 mm, pilose; calyx lobes ovate or ovate-lanceolate, 10–18 × 4–10 mm, fused in the lower half, pubescent-hispid

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla yellow or lilac with a dark red or maroon blotch at base of each petal, 2.5–6 cm long, glabrous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Staminal tube 10–16 mm; filaments 2–3 mm long; exserted part of style 2–5 mm long, glabrous

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Capsule straw-coloured, ovoid-rotund, 10–17 mm long, 9–15 mm diameter, wings 2–3 mm wide, sparsely pubescent, setose along the sutures.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds black or dark brown, wedge-shaped, 3 × 2 mm, with evenly-spaced longitudinal rows of tubercules all over

Figures

Fig 8: 1–5, p 57

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

Morphology General Habit

Herb or shrub, up to 2 m tall, sometimes scandent; stems pubescent to pilose, often glandular and sometimes slightly prickly

Morphology Leaves

Leaves pubescent to pilose; petiole 2–13(–18) cm; blade ovate to suborbicular in outline, ± deeply 3–5(–7)-lobed or entire, 3–15 x 3–15 cm, cordate to truncate at the base; lobes triangular, acute, serrate-dentate

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Flowers in leaf axils or in racemes; pedicels 1–8 cm long, articulated near or below the middle

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Epicalyx

Epicalyx bracts c. 10, 5–15 mm long, filiform

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx 10–25 mm long; lobes ovate-triangular, 3–5-veined

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals c. 2–5 cm long, yellow with purple base; staminal tube up to 15 mm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Capsule 7–12 mm long, subglobose, at maturity separating from receptacle and disintegrating, hispid; valves winged, scarious and with conspicuous transverse veins, with up to 5 mm long awns

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds c. 3 mm long, glabrous.

Distribution

N1–3; C1, 2; S1, 3 widespread in tropical Africa and Asia, introduced in America.

Ecology

Altitude range 20–1800 m.