Hibiscus vitifolius L.

Herb, subshrub or shrub 0.6–2 m high. Branchlets with stellate hairs (0.5–1 mm long, sparse), coarse bristles (0.6–1 mm long, sparse), fine bristles (0.3–0.5 mm long, very dense), and glandular hairs, hairs whitish, yellowish, or golden-brownish. Stipules deciduous, linear, 6–18 mm long, 0.75–2.5 mm wide, with stellate hairs and fine bristles. Mature leaves: petiole 15–90 mm long; lamina ovate to broadly ovate, unlobed to moderately 3–5-lobed (the lobes as long as wide), 40–160 mm long, 30–140 mm wide, cordate base, crenulate to crenate or serrulate margin, acute to acuminate apex, discolorous, the indumentum similar on both surfaces, the abaxial surface with midrib and primary vein indumentum of very dense fine stellate hairs, hairs whitish. Flowers solitary in leaf axils, pedunculate; peduncle well-developed, 6–25 mm long, with sparse stellate hairs and very dense fine ascending bristles; pedicel 20–40 mm long, indumentum like peduncle, the pedicel marginally wider than peduncle distally; epicalyx with stellate hairs and fine bristles, with moderately dense to dense simple hairs of uneven lengths all over, also with some sparse glandular hairs, 7-or 8-segmented, the segments free (or very minimally fused at base), straight or recurved, linear, shorter than the calyx, 5.5–8.5 mm long at anthesis; calyx at anthesis not splitting (5-lobed but not splitting per se), 5–9 mm long, enlarging to 15 mm long in fruit, calyx in fruit not distinctly inflated or accrescent, adaxial with dense white, soft stellate hairs marginally on lobes, remainder of lobes with moderately dense to dense, appressed, simple, uneven length hairs, hairs soft or rigid, basally glabrous, nectary absent, calyx in fruit not distinctly inflated or accrescent; petals 15–44 mm long, yellow, reddish petal spot present, glabrous adaxially, glabrous or with very sparse stellate hairs abaxially, on apical half, or sometimes with sparse, short, simple hairs on margins apically; staminal column straight, 8–9 mm long, stamens distributed along the distal 6–7 mm of the column, stamens whorled, inserted singly or twinned, the filaments 1.3–2 mm long, anthers red; style exserted 1–2.2 mm beyond apex of staminal column, 5-branched, branches 1.5–2 mm long, stigmas entire, 0.5–0.6 mm wide, capitate, the hairs 0.1–0.2 mm long. Capsules broadly ovoid, 8–10 mm long, sparse to moderately dense, appressed or erect, simple, soft hairs mainly on the ribs, margins with sparse, erect, rigid hairs. Seeds subreniform, 2.6–3.5 mm long, glabrous, entire surface of seed covered in short, dark brown projections, slightly hooked at the ends; or pustules/bumps.

Recorded in vine thickets, rocky slopes, dry rainforest, creek edges, heathlands and scattered woodlands, over brown soils, acidic volcanics, sandstone and white sandy soil. This is an Old World tropical species requiring an annual dry period and is only common in Malesia in regions where the climate is seasonal. It is a species of disturbed ground and open vegetation. (Du Puy 1993).

Can be grown by seedlings. Seeds needs soaking.