Hibiscus sororius L.

Herb or suffrutex up to 2 m high, the stem sparsely to densely scabridulous-puberulus with appressed stellate hairs. Leaves with the petiole terete, 1.5-11 cm long, densely scabridulous-puberulus with appressed stellate hairs, the stipules small, linear below and abrupty dilated at the apex into a more or less deltoid blade, velutinous; blade broadly ovate to suborbicular, rarely more or less angulate, deeply cordate at the base, obtuse at the apex, shallowly crenate at the margin, up to 16 cm long and 13 cm wide, 5-to 9-palminerved, scabridulous on both surfaces, stellate-puberulus above, more or less densely appressed-stellate-puberulus and with the venation slightly prominent beneath. Flowers solitary in the upper leaf axils, long-pedicellate, the pedicel articulated at or above the middle, up to 12 cm long, scabridulous-stellate-tomentellous; epicalyx of 8-10 bractlets, these linear be-low and abruptly dilated at the apex into a broad, more or less reniform blade, 0.7-1.5 cm long and 0.55-1.2 cm wide (the blade), scabridulous-stellate-tomentellous; calyx lobed to below the middle, 2-3 cm long, accrescent, scabridulous-stellate-tomentellous to-puberulus, the lobes ovate, obtuse to subacute and 5-or 7-nerved; petals obovate, unguiculate, rounded at the apex, (3.5-)5-7.5 cm long, white or pink with a red center, stellate-puberulus near the apex outside; staminal tube 1/2 as long as the corolla, antheriferous throughout; style branches exceeding the staminal tube, the stigmas minutely fimbrillate. Capsule surrounded by and smaller than the accrescent calyx, broadly oblong-ellipsoid, rounded to slightly retuse and mucronulate at the apex, 1.2-2.5 cm long, densely hispid with long, simple hairs; seeds subglobose-reniform, ca 1.5-1.7 mm long, glabrous to very minutely papillate.

Usually found in marshes or in wet soil along streams; at elevations up to 1,000 metres.

Can be grown by cuttings or seedlings. Seeds needs soaking.