Hibiscus schizopetalus

Hibiscus schizopetalus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Rosids
Order:	Malvales
Family:	Malvaceae
Genus:	Hibiscus
Species:	H. schizopetalus
Binomial name
Hibiscus schizopetalus (Dyer) Hook.f.

Hibiscus schizopetalus is a species of Hibiscus native to tropical eastern Africa in Kenya, Tanzania and Mozambique. Its common names include fringed rosemallow,^[1] Japanese lantern, coral hibiscus, and spider hibiscus.

Description

Hibiscus schizopetalus is a shrub growing to 3 metres (9.8 ft) tall.

The red or pink flowers are very distinctive in their frilly, finely divided petals.^[2][3] Flowers with finely dissected petal have a range of colours, the most common being the red form (Keena et al., 2002; Ng, 2006). Leaves resemble those of H. rosa-sinensis.

The major anthocyanin found in flowers of H. schizopetalus is cyanidin-3-sambusophoroside (Lowry, 1976). From leaves, two new triterpene esters have been isolated (Jose & Vijayan, 2006).

Uses

Cultivation

Hibiscus schizopetalus is cultivated as an ornamental plant, for use in tropical and subtropical gardens.

Gallery

• 

  Overall view of Hibiscus schizopetalus shrub.

• 

  Detail of the end of bloom.

• 

  Hibiscus schizopetalus flower in Trivandrum, Kerala, India.

• 

  Hibiscus schizopetalus at the Iguazu Falls, Argentina.

References

1. "Hibiscus schizopetalus". Natural Resources Conservation Service PLANTS Database. USDA. Retrieved 14 May 2015.
2. Germplasm Resources Information Network: Hibiscus schizopetalus
3. Huxley, A., ed. (1992). New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. Macmillan ISBN 0-333-47494-5.

• Jose, E.A. & Vijayan, K.K. (2006). “New taraxerane esters from Hibiscus schizopetalus leaves”. Indian Journal of Chemistry - Section B Organic and Medicinal Chemistry 45(5): 1328–1331.
• Keena, C., Yanker-Hansen, K., Marcos Capelini, M. (2002). “Marvellous mallows”. http://www.internationalhibiscussociety.org/hiv1n11-1.htm#1.
• Lowry, J.B. (1976). “Floral anthocyanins of some Malesian Hibiscus species”. Phytochemistry 15: 1395–1396.
• Ng, F.S.P. 2006. “Tropical Horticulture and Gardening”. Clearwater Publications, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 361 pp.

External links

• Data related to Hibiscus schizopetalus at Wikispecies