Hibiscus trionum L.

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.

Herb

Flowering class: Dicot Habit: Herb

Flowering and fruiting: July-January

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: July—January.

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.

Annual herbs, about 30-70 cm tall. Stems erect or decumbent, pubescent with simple, curved and few stellate pubescent hairs. Leaves alternate, lower ones lobed or unlobed, ovate-orbicular, about 2.5-8 x 1.5-5.5 cm across, upper ones 3-5 lobed palmately, usually the middle lobe longer, oblong, pinnatisect, base cordate, midrib usually with obscure nectarines, margins crenate-serrate, apex acute to acuminate, sparsely pubescent with stellate hairs of glabrous above and densely pubescent with stellate hairs beneath, petiole stellate hairy with simple, di and tribrachiate stellate hairs, about 2-5 cm long, stipules linear subulate, with long stiff hairs, about 5-15 mm long. Inflorescence usually axillary, solitary, by the reduction of the upper leaves. Flowers bisexual, blossom for few hours, bud densely hairy, pedicel slender, pubescent, jointed above middle, about 1.5-7 cm long, epicalyx 8-12, linear, trinerved, base connate, margins ciliate with simple long hairs, about 10-15 x 1-1.5 mm across, calyx 5 lobed, distinctly nerved, campanulate, lobes broadly ovate, base connate, apex acute, valvate, sometimes with nectarines, persistent, membranous, lobes about 1-2.5 cm long, corolla showy and large, yellow and purple at the base, campanulate. Staminal about 5-8 mm long, anthers basifixed, in the tip or upper half. Ovary superior, 5 locular, axile placentation, style 5 branched distally or connate up to the middle, stigma discoid. Fruit capsule, globose-oblong, about 0.5-2 x 1-1.5 cm across, apex obtuse, beaked, dehiscing loculicidally, with hairs. Seeds reniform or subglobose, about 2 mm across, minutely tuberculate, brownish.

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

Notes: Degraded forests

Weed in cultivated fields and roadsides of tropical and subtropical forests, altitude up to 3000 m.

Degraded forests

Grasslands

Not evaluated (IUCN).

Used in folk medicine.