Hibiscus tiliaceus | |
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Sea hibiscus from Tahiti | |
Sea hibiscus from Flora de Filipinas (Francisco Manuel Blanco, 1880-1883) | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Malvales |
Family: | Malvaceae |
Genus: | Hibiscus |
Species: | H. tiliaceus |
Binomial name | |
Hibiscus tiliaceus L. (1753) | |
Subspecies and varieties [3] | |
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Synonyms [3] | |
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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. [1]
Common names include sea hibiscus, beach hibiscus, coastal (or coast) hibiscus, coastal (or coast) cottonwood, green cottonwood, native hibiscus, native rosella, cottonwood hibiscus, kurrajong, sea rosemallow and dhigga (Maldivian).
The plant was introduced [ where? ] by Austronesian peoples that voyaged across Southeast Asia and Oceania as a source of wood and fibre. [4] [5] This is reflected in the names of the plant as spoken in many related languages spoken in those regions including balibago (Tagalog), malobago (Bikol), malabago or malbago (Cebuano – Southern), maribago (Cebuano – Northern), lambago (Cebuano - Cagayan de Oro), waru (Sundanese & Javanese), varo (Malagasy), baru or bebaru (Malay), pagu (Chamorro), hau (Hawaiian), fau (Samoan), purau (Tahitian), and vau tree (Vietnamese). [6] The specific epithet, "tiliaceus", refers to its resemblance of the leaves to those of the related Tilia species. [7]
Hibiscus tiliaceus reaches a height of 4–10 m (13–33 ft), with a trunk up to 15 cm (5.9 in) in diameter. [8] The flowers of H. tiliaceus are bright yellow with a deep red center upon opening. Over the course of the day, the flowers deepen to orange and finally red before they fall. The branches of the tree often curve over time. The leaves are heart shaped and deep red in the var. rubra.
Hibiscus tiliaceus has a worldwide tropical distribution. In the Old World and Oceania, it is a common coastal plant in most of tropical Africa, South Asia (including the Maldives), Southeast Asia, parts of East Asia (as far north as central Japan, where it reaches its northernmost extent), eastern and northern Australia, [9] and much of the Pacific Islands, including Hawaii (where its establishment status is uncertain). It has also been introduced to New Zealand. A separate subspecies, subsp. pernambucensis (formerly considered a separate species, H. pernambucensis), is native to the tropical New World, including Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and much of South America. [10] This variety has also been introduced to Florida. [1] [8]
It is uncertain if the species is native to Hawaii, as it may have been introduced by the Polynesians. [7] It is considered native by Plants of the World Online, but the IUCN considers it of uncertain status. [11] [1] Hibiscus tiliaceus can be found at elevations from sea level to 800 m (2,600 ft) in areas that receive 900–2,500 mm (35–98 in) of annual rainfall. It is commonly found growing on beaches, by rivers and in mangrove swamps. Sea hibiscus is well adapted to grow in coastal environment in that it tolerates salt and waterlogging and can grow in quartz sand, coral sand, marl, limestone, [12] and crushed basalt. [13] It grows best in slightly acidic to alkaline soils (pH of 5–8.5). [12] Cotton Tree, Queensland, Australia is named for the plant.
Four subspecies and varieties are accepted. [3]
The wood of H. tiliaceus has a specific gravity of 0.6. It has been used in a variety of applications, such as seacraft construction, firewood, and wood carvings. It is easy to plane and turns well, so it is regarded by many as a high quality furniture wood. Plant fibers taken from the stems have traditionally been used in rope making, [17] while its bark has been used like cork, in sealing cracks in boats. The bark and roots may be boiled to make a cooling tea to cool fevers, and its young leafy shoots may be eaten as vegetables. Native Hawaiians used the wood to make ʻiako (spars) for waʻa (outrigger canoes), mouo (fishing net floats), and ʻau koʻi (adze handles). Kaula ʻilihau (cordage) was made from the bast fibers. [18] Hau would be used to make ʻama (canoe floats) if the preferred wiliwili (Erythrina sandwicensis) was unavailable. [19]
Hibiscus tiliaceus is widely used in Asian countries, especially Taiwan, as a subject for the art of bonsai. The finest specimens are taken from Kenting National Park. Lending itself to free grafting, the leaf size is reduced fairly quickly. Its leaves are also used in cooking, as trays for steamed rice cakes (粿).
In Indonesia H. tiliaceus is also used for fermenting tempeh. The undersides of the leaves are covered in downy hairs known technically as trichomes to which the mold Rhizopus oligosporus can be found adhering in the wild. Soybeans are pressed into the leaf, and stored. Fermentation occurs resulting in tempeh. [20]
Cyanidin-3-glucoside is the major anthocyanin found in flowers of H. tiliaceus. [21] Leaves of H. tiliaceus displayed strong free radical scavenging activity and the highest tyrosinase inhibition activity among 39 tropical plant species in Okinawa. [22] With greater UV radiation in coastal areas, it is possible that leaves and flowers of natural coastal populations of H. tiliaceus have stronger antioxidant properties than planted inland populations. [23]
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.
Hibiscus rosa-sinensis, known colloquially as Chinese hibiscus, China rose, Hawaiian hibiscus, rose mallow and shoeblack plant, is a species of tropical hibiscus, a flowering plant in the Hibisceae tribe of the family Malvaceae. It is widely cultivated as an ornamental plant in the tropics and subtropics.
Hawaiian hibiscus are seven species of hibiscus native to Hawaii. The yellow hibiscus is Hawaii's state flower. Most commonly grown as ornamental plants in the Hawaiian Islands are the non-native Chinese hibiscus and its numerous hybrids, though the native Hibiscus arnottianus is occasionally planted.
Thespesia is a genus of 14 flowering shrubs and trees in the Hibiscus family, Malvaceae, although within the family they are more closely related to cotton plants (Gossypium). The genus is distributed from the South Pacific through Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean.
Ficus microcarpa, also known as Chinese banyan, Malayan banyan, Indian laurel, curtain fig, or gajumaru (ガジュマル), is a tree in the fig family Moraceae. It is native in a range from China through tropical Asia and the Caroline Islands to Australia. It is widely planted as a shade tree and frequently misidentified as the Balete tree: F. retusa or F. nitida.
Thespesia populnea, commonly known as the portia tree, Pacific rosewood, Indian tulip tree, or milo, among other names, is a species of flowering plant belonging to the mallow family, Malvaceae. It is a tree found commonly on coasts around the world. Although it is confirmed to be native only to the Old World tropics, other authorities consider it to have a wider, possibly pantropical native distribution. It is thought to be an invasive species in Florida and Brazil.
The Hawaiian tropical rainforests are a tropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion in the Hawaiian Islands. They cover an area of 6,700 km2 (2,600 sq mi) in the windward lowlands and montane regions of the islands. Coastal mesic forests are found at elevations from sea level to 300 m (980 ft). Mixed mesic forests occur at elevations of 750 to 1,250 m, while wet forests are found from 1,250 to 1,700 m. Moist bogs and shrublands exist on montane plateaus and depressions. For the 28 million years of existence of the Hawaiian Islands, they have been isolated from the rest of the world by vast stretches of the Pacific Ocean, and this isolation has resulted in the evolution of an incredible diversity of endemic species, including fungi, mosses, snails, birds, and other wildlife. In the lush, moist forests high in the mountains, trees are draped with vines, orchids, ferns, and mosses. This ecoregion includes one of the world's wettest places, the slopes of Mount Waiʻaleʻale, which average 373 in (9,500 mm) of rainfall per year.
Pandanus tectorius is a species of Pandanus (screwpine) that is native to Malesia, Papuasia, eastern Australia, and the Pacific Islands. It grows in the coastal lowlands typically near the edge of the ocean. Common names in English include thatch screwpine, Tahitian screwpine, hala tree and pandanus. The fruit is edible and sometimes known as hala fruit.
Hibiscus waimeae is a species of flowering plant within the okra family, Malvaceae, that is endemic to the island of Kauaʻi in Hawaii.
Hibiscadelphus distans is an extremely rare species of flowering plant in the mallow family, Malvaceae, that is endemic to the island of Kauaʻi in Hawaii. It is known as hau kuahiwi in Hawaiian, which means "upland Hibiscus tiliaceus." It is a bush or small tree with heart-shaped leaves and yellow flowers and grows at between 1,000 and 1,800 feet in the remnants of native dry forests. Despite its rarity, it is believed to be the only surviving species in the genus Hibiscadelphus which is only known from Hawaii, the other five species having recently become extinct in the wild, some being known from only a single plant.
Hibiscus mutabilis, also known as the Confederate rose, Dixie rosemallow, cotton rose or cotton rosemallow, is a plant long cultivated for its showy flowers. Originally native to southern China, it is now found on all continents except Antarctica.
Entelea arborescens or whau is a species of malvaceous tree endemic to New Zealand. E. arborescens is the only species in the genus Entelea. A shrub or small tree to 6 m with large lime-like leaves giving a tropical appearance, whau grows in low forest along the coast of the North Island and the northern tip of the South Island. The dry fruit capsules are very distinctly brown and covered with spines. The common name whau is a Māori word that appears to derive from the common Polynesian word for hibiscus, particularly Hibiscus tiliaceus, which it superficially resembles. Alternate names include 'New Zealand mulberry', 'corkwood' and 'evergreen lime'.
Olea europaea subsp. cuspidata is a subspecies of the well-known olive tree, which until recently was considered a separate species and is still mentioned as such in many sources. Native to mostly dry areas across sub-saharan Africa, West Asia, the Himalayan region and southern China, it has various common names, including wild olive, African olive, brown olive and Indian olive.
Hibiscus hastatus is a large shrub or tree in the family Malvaceae. H. hastatus is known by its common name of Purau teruere or Tahiti hibiscus.
Talipariti is a genus of plants in the mallow family Malvaceae. It consists of 22 species, which are exclusively tropical except for one species whose range extends into temperate areas of Japan and Korea. Most authors now treat these species as part of the genus Hibiscus, in which case they form the section Hibiscus sect. Azanzae.
Cassia javanica, also known as Java cassia, pink shower, apple blossom tree and rainbow shower tree, is a species of tree in the family Fabaceae. Its origin is in Southeast Asia, but it has been extensively grown in tropical areas worldwide as a garden tree owing to its beautiful crimson and pink flower bunches.
Hibiscus hamabo, the hardy yellow hibiscus, is a species of shrub in the genus Hibiscus that is native to the coastlines of China, Japan, and Korea. It is characterized by yellow flower coloring as well as orbicular shaped leaves. In its native environment it is a perennial.
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.
Abelmoschus hostilis is a rare species of flowering plant in the Malvaceae family. It is native to Bangladesh and Myanmar and is known as "Kantabhendi" in Bengali.
Syzygium dealbatum is a species of flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. It is a tree native to Niue, the Samoan Islands, Tonga, and Wallis and Futuna.