Hibiscus schizopetalus

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

Hibiscus schizopetalus is a species of Hibiscus native to tropical eastern Africa in Kenya, Tanzania and Mozambique. Its common names include Japanese Lantern, Coral Hibiscus, Spider Hibiscus and Fringed Rosemallow.

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.[1][2] 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

References

  1. Germplasm Resources Information Network: Hibiscus schizopetalus
  2. Huxley, A., ed. (1992). New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. Macmillan ISBN 0-333-47494-5.

External links

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