Dombeya kirkii Mast.

Shrub 1-5 m tall (in the tropics sometimes a tree up to 10 m tall). Branchlets woody, faintly longitudinally ribbed with scattered lenticels and prominent leaf-scars; young branches densely stellate-pubescent. Stipules 4-8 mm long, narrowly linear, thick or thin in texture, sometimes with incurved margins, stellate-pubescent with interspersed glandular hairs. Leaves ovate, gradually narrowing in the upper third, the apex abruptly acuminate, 4-12 cm long, 3-11 cm broad, crenate on the margins, cordate at the base, 5-9-nerved from the base (nerves tomentose) stellate-pubescent on both surfaces, hairs short and appressed, wearing off with age; petiole 1-6 cm long, stellate-tomentose. Inflorescence a cymose panicle, short or elongated, axillary and clustered at the apices of the branchlets, usually appearing from February to May, pubescent with the characteristic patent hairs; peduncle 1.5-8 cm long, stellate-tomentose interspersed with long, patent pointed hairs; pedicels usually 0.5-1.5 cm long, sparsely to densely patently pubescent as well as tomentose. Bracts 3 at the base of the calyx, linear to linear-elliptic (that is narrowing slightly to base and apex), sometimes conduplicate, shortly tomentose on both surfaces, the outer also bristling with long patent hairs, 5-7 mm long, 1-1.5 mm broad at the middle. Calyx rounded at the base, united for about 1.5 mm; lobes 5-7 mm long, 1.5-2 mm broad at the base, dorsally tomentose and usually patently hairy as well. Petals white turning light brown with age, persistent, 8-10 mm long, 4.5-5 mm broad just above the middle. Stamens united for 1-1.5 mm, 3 rarely 2 between the staminodes; filaments of different lengths, very slender, up to 4 mm long; anthers 1 mm long; staminodes very slender, 7 mm long. Ovary 3-celled, 2.5 mm long, 2.5 mm broad, tomentose and with long erect hairs at the apex, hairs up to 1 mm long; style about 2-3.3 mm long, sparsely hairy near base or sometimes altogether pubescent, branches suberect or slightly recurved, about 3 mm long; ovules usually 2 in a cell. Capsule 4 x 3 mm, with tufted setose hairs at the apex, hairs about 1 mm long.

Woodland and bushland, on limestone ridges and rocky slopes; riverine thickets; dry deciduous forest on deep sandy alluvium fringing a seasonal watercourse; forest regrowth; at elevations from 90-2,100 metres.

Can be grown by cuttings or seedlings.