Hibiscus tiliaceus Linnaeus

Economically it is quite an important plant. The fibre obtained from the bark is of fair quality. The roots, bark, leaves and flowers are said to be variously used in medicine.

Borssum Waalkes (Blumea 14: 30-38. 1966) recognized a series of six SubSpe. Chinese material belongs to the nominate SubSpe, Hibiscus tiliaceus subsp. tiliaceus.

Fiber from the bast of Hibiscus tiliaceus is used on Hainan to make fishing nets.

A medium sized tree with stellate tomentum, glabrescent. Leaves 3-20 (-30) cm long, 2-20 (-30) cm broad, orbicular to ovate, cordate at base, usually entire or undulate to crenate, acute to acuminate, almost glabrous above, hairy below, lower surface at base with linear glands on 1-5 nerves, coriaceous; stipules foliaceous, clasping the stem, 1-3 cm long, 0.5-1 cm broad, ovate, caducous. Flowers solitary, clustered at the end of branches; pedicel c. 1 cm long, in fruit up to 2 cm, stellate pubescent. Epicalyx cupular, 5-10 mm long, 7-12 toothed; teeth deltoid or triangular, 2-3 mm long and broad. Calyx 1/3 to 1/2 fused, 1.5-3 cm long; lobes lanceolate, c. 1 cm broad, each with linear gland on the central nerve. Corolla 5-8 cm across, yellow with or without crimson centre; petals obovate, 4.5-7 cm long, 4-5 cm broad, claw slightly hairy on margin. Staminal column c. 3 cm long. Ovary oblong, pubescent, 5 mm long. Capsule 2-3 cm long, c. 2 cm broad, beaked, densely stellate hairy, 10 celled. Seeds many, dark brown 4-5 mm long, reniform, stellulate hairy.

Shrubs evergreen or trees, 4-10 m tall, to 60 cm d.b.h.; bark gray-white. Branchlets glabrous or nearly so, rarely stellate puberulent or stellate. Stipules foliaceous, oblong, ca. 2 × 1.2 cm, stellate pilose, apex rounded, caducous; petiole 3-8 cm; leaf blade nearly orbicular to broadly ovate, 8-15 × 8-15 cm, leathery, green, abaxially densely gray-white stellate puberulent, adaxially very sparsely stellate scaly, glabrescent, basal veins 7 or 9, base cordate, margin entire or obscurely crenate, apex abruptly acuminate. Inflorescence a 1- to few-flowered racemelike cyme, terminal or axillary; peduncle 4-5 cm. Pedicel 1-3 cm, with 1 pair of stipulelike bracteoles at base. Epicalyx lobes 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. Calyx 1.5-2.5 cm, connate proximally for 1/4-1/3 of length, lobes 5, lanceolate, stellate puberulent, persistent. Corolla yellow with dark purple center, campanulate, 6-7.5 cm in diam.; petals obovate, 4-4.5 cm, yellow stellate puberulent abaxially. Filament tube ca. 3 cm, glabrous. Style branches 5, slender, with glandular hairs. Capsule subglobose to ovoid, ca. 2 cm, obscurely beaked, densely fascicled-hirsute, valves 5, woody. Seeds reniform, smooth, glabrous. Fl. Jun-Aug.

Distribution. Tropics and subtropics of both the hemispheres. It is occa¬sionally cultivated in Pakistan.

Fujian, Guangdong, Hainan, Taiwan [Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam; pantropical].

Sea shores, along streams, sandy soil; near sea level to 300 m.

Hibiscus boninensis Nakai; H. tiliaceus var. heterophyllus Nakai; H. tiliaceus var. tortuosus (Roxburgh) Masters; H. tortuosus Roxburgh; Pariti boninense (Nakai) Nakai; P. tiliaceum (Linnaeus) A. Jussieu; P. tiliaceum var. heterophyllum (Nakai) Nakai; Talipariti tiliaceum (Linnaeus) Fryxell.