Hibiscus tiliaceus

Hibiscus tiliaceus L., Sp. Pl. 2: 694. 1753; Masters in Hook. f. Fl. Brit. Ind. 1: 343. 1875; Hu, Fl. China Fam. 153: 41. 1955; Fl. China @ eFloras.org 12: 288; Fl. Pak. @ eFloras.org p. 9; Talipariti tiliaceum (L.) Fryxell, Cont. Univ. Michigan Herb. 23: 258. 2001; Fryxell & Hill, Fl. North Amer. @ eFloras.org vol. 6.

Evergreen shrubs or trees, 3-10 m tall. Branchlets glabrescent, rarely stellate puberulent. Stipules foliaceous, sessile, enclosing terminal bud, oblong, ca. 2 cm x 1.2 cm, stellate pilose, early caducous, leaving prominent annular scars, purple-red, stellate puberulent; petioles 3-8 cm long; leaf blade nearly orbicular to broadly ovate, 8-15 cm x 8-15 cm, leathery, green, abaxially densely stellate puberulent, adaxially very sparsely stellate, palmately 7-9-veined, base cordate, margin entire or obscurely crenate, apex abruptly acuminate; abaxial surface at base with linear glands on 1-5 nerves. Flowers solitary axillary, actinomorphic, bisexual, pentamerous, hypogynous. Pedicels 1-3 cm with 1 pair of stipule-like bracteoles at base, stellate pubescent. Epicalyx lobes (involucellar bractlets )7-10, joined for 1/3-1/2 of length, free lobes 2-2.5 mm, triangular-acuminate with slightly rounded sinuses, densely gray-white stellate puberulent, persistent. Calyx 1.5-2.5 cm, connate proximally for 1/4-1/3 of length, lobes 5, lanceolate, stellate puberulent. Corolla yellow with dark purple center, campanulate, 6-7.5 cm in diameter; petals obovate, 4-4.5 cm, abaxially yellow stellate puberulent. Staminal tube ca. 3 cm, apically 5-dentate, glabrous, antheriferous throughout length. Carpels 5; ovary subglobose or ovoid, pubescent, 5 mm long, 5-locular, many ovules per loculus; style emergent from staminal tube, style 5-branched beyond orifice of staminal tube, slender, with purple red glandular hairs; stigmas 5, capitate, dark purple-red, hairy.

Capsule subglobose to ovoid, 2-3 cm, obscurely beaked, densely stellate hairy, valves 5, woody. Seeds 4-5 mm long, reniform, smooth, glabrous orstellate hairy. (Fruit not observed).

Flowering and Fruiting: March-April
Common Names: Sea Beach Hibiscus, Cottonwood Hibiscus, Mahoe, Cotton Tree, Sea Coast Rose- mallow, Tree Mallow, Yellow Mallow Tree; Bola, Chewla, Pola (Hindi)

Note: This species is observed and studied only at its young stage growing as an ornamental plant.