Hibiscus caesius Garcke

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.

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: September—December.

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.

Herbs, undershrubs or shrubs, about 1-2 m tall. Stems erect, woody, stem and branches covered with sparse stiff recurved bristles. Leaves simple, alternate, deeply 3-5 palmiparted, lobes about 2.5-8 x 1-3.5 cm across, attenuate on base and apex, margins crenate-serrate, with stellate stiff simple hairs above and stellate pubescent beneath, petiole with sparse stellate bristles, about 1-7 cm long, stipules linear subulate, hairy, about 5-10 mm long. Inflorescence usually axillary, solitary, by the reduction of the upper leaves. Flowers bisexual, about 5-10 cm across, sparsely hairy near the base, bud densely hairy at the apex, pedicel slender, jointed towards the apex, up to 12 cm long, epicalyx 10-12, base connate, apex forked with one leaf lobe, about 2-3.5 cm long, calyx 5 lobed, distinctly nerved, campanulate, lobes broadly lanceolate, base connate, apex acute to acuminate, valvate, sometimes with nectarines, persistent, about 1.5-3 x 0.5-1 cm across, corolla showy and large, yellow and purple at the base, campanulate, about twice as long as calyx, glabrous inside, stellate hairy outside. Staminal column usually shorter or almost as long petals, about 2 cm long, base wide, filaments apex truncate, anthers basifixed, throughout. Ovary superior, 5 locular, axile placentation, ovules 3 or more per locule. Fruit capsule, globose-cylindrical, about 2 cm across, apex acute, dehiscing loculicidally, with rigid caducous hairs. Seeds many, reniform, about 3 mm across, pilose with minute hairs, brownish.

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

Notes: Along foothills

In scrub and dry deciduous forests.

Not evaluated (IUCN).

Used in folk medicine.