Hibiscus is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae. The genus is quite large, comprising several hundred species that are native to warm temperate, subtropical and tropical regions throughout the world. Member species are renowned for their large, showy flowers and those species are commonly known simply as "hibiscus", or less widely known as rose mallow.
Malvaceae, or the mallows, is a family of flowering plants estimated to contain 244 genera with 4225 known species. Well-known members of economic importance include okra, cotton, cacao, roselle and durian. There are also some genera containing familiar ornamentals, such as Alcea (hollyhock), Malva (mallow), and Tilia. The genera with the largest numbers of species include Hibiscus, Pavonia, Sida, Ayenia, Dombeya, and Sterculia.
Hibiscus × rosa-sinensis, known colloquially as Chinese hibiscus, China rose, Hawaiian hibiscus, rose mallow and shoeblack plant, is a cultigen of tropical hibiscus, a flowering plant in the Hibisceae tribe of the family Malvaceae. It is an artificial hybrid created in cultivation in pre-European times by Polynesians in the west Pacific from the species Hibiscus cooperi and Hibiscus kaute. It is widely cultivated as an ornamental plant in the tropics and subtropics.
Hibiscus tiliaceus, commonly known as the sea hibiscus or coast cottonwood, is a species of flowering tree in the mallow family, Malvaceae, with a pantropical distribution along coastlines. It has also been introduced to Florida and New Zealand. It has been debated whether this species is native or introduced to Hawaii.
Abelmoschus manihot, commonly known as aibika, is a flowering plant in the family Malvaceae. It is a tropical subshrub or shrub native to the Indian subcontinent, Indochina, central and southern China, Malesia, New Guinea, and Queensland. It is cultivated and eaten as a leaf vegetable, among other uses. It was previously classified as a species of Hibiscus but is now categorized under the genus Abelmoschus. This plant is also referred to as the sunset muskmallow, sunset hibiscus, or hibiscus manihot.
Lebronnecia is a monotypic genus of flowering plants in the family Malvaceae. The sole species is Lebronnecia kokioides, a very rare flowering shrub.
Ochrosia brownii, synonym Neisosperma brownii, is a species of plant in the family Apocynaceae. It was endemic to the Marquesas Islands in French Polynesia and is extinct in the wild.
Hibiscus storckii is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae, native to Fiji. It was first described by Berthold Carl Seemann in 1865.
Hibiscus genevei is a species of flowering plant in the Malvaceae family. It is known locally as mandrinette blanc and is endemic to the island of Mauritius.
Hibiscus hispidissimus is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae. It is found in South East Asia.
Papuodendron is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Malvaceae. In 1946 Cyril Tenison White described its first species, Papuodendron lepidotum, which was discovered growing in 1944 in the Mandated Territory of New Guinea. Its native range is New Guinea.
Hibiscus sinosyriacus, the Chinese rose of Sharon, is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae, native to southern China. The Royal Horticultural Society considers it a good plant for chalky soils. A number of cultivars are available, including 'Lilac Queen' and 'Ruby Glow'.
Hibiscus panduriformis, the yellow hibiscus, is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae, native to much of Tropical Africa, Madagascar, Yemen, the Indian Subcontinent, and Myanmar. An erect shrub reaching 2.5 m (8 ft), it is a minor weed of cotton.
Hibiscus lunariifolius, the lunaria-leaf hibiscus, is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae, native to India and Sri Lanka, and introduced to quite a number of seasonally dry tropical areas in Africa. It is cultivated in Nigeria for its fiber, a good quality analog of jute.
Hibiscus vitifolius, the grape-leaved mallow or tropical rose mallow, is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae. It is native to the seasonally dry Old World tropics and subtropics, and has been introduced to most of the islands of the Caribbean. A perennial herb reaching 2 m (6 ft) and becoming woody at maturity, it is found in a wide variety of habitats, and is a weed of cultivation. It is used locally as a source of fiber, often mixed with jute.
Hibiscus surattensis, the bush sorrel or wild sour, is a widespread species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae. It is native to the seasonally dry tropical Old World, and has been introduced to many islands of the Indian Ocean. As the common names imply, it is eaten as a leafy green by local peoples.
Hibiscus martianus, the heartleaf rosemallow or heart-leaf hibiscus, is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae, native to Texas and Mexico. In the wild it is found growing in a variety of harsh habitats, including in canyons, on scree and gravel, and in the chaparral.
Hibiscus micranthus, the tiny flower hibiscus, is a widespread species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae. A shrub, it is native to seasonally dry tropical areas of Africa, Madagascar, the Arabian Peninsula, Iran, the Indian Subcontinent, and Myanmar. It is used in traditional medicines.
Hibiscus pusillus is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae, native to seasonally dry areas of southern Africa. There is some confusion with Hibiscus trionum, with which it shares the common names bladderweed and Terblansbossie (Afrikaans), perhaps due to the name Hibiscus pusillusEckl. & Zeyh. being a synonym of Hibiscus trionumL., sometimes called the bladder hibiscus.
Hibiscus cooperi is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae, native to Vanuatu. It was first formally described in 1863. It is one of the parents of the widely cultivated Hibiscus × rosa-sinensis, the other being Hibiscus kaute.
