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.

Shrub

Flowering & Fruiting: Throughout the year

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: Throughout the year.

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.

Shrubs, about 2-4 m tall. Stems woody, glabrous, branchlets, sparsely pubescent with simple and stellate hairs. Leaves simple, alternate or rarely lobed, broadly ovate to lanceolate, about 5-13 x 3-9 cm across, base cuneate to rounded, 3-5 veined, midrib usually with obscure nectarines, margins crenate-serrate to dentate throughout, apex acute to acuminate, membranous, glabrous above and with sparse stellate hairs beneath, petiole with sparse stellate hairs, about 1.5-4 cm long, stipules lanceolate, subulate, glabrous, about 3-11 mm long. Inflorescence usually axillary, solitary, by the reduction of the upper leaves. Flowers bisexual, about 6-12 cm across, pedicel slender, jointed towards the apex, pubescent with hairs beneath, about 1-1.5 cm long, epicalyx 5-8, base connate, apex forked with one leaf lobe, about 0.5-1 cm long, calyx 5 lobed, distinctly nerved, campanulate, lobes broadly lanceolate, base connate, apex acute to acuminate, valvate, sometimes with nectarines, persistent, with stellate and glandular hairs outside, about 1-2 cm long, corolla showy and large, yellow, white, orange, and purple at the base, campanulate. Staminal column about 4-9 cm long, filaments about 3-9 mm long, anthers basifixed, throughout. Ovary superior, 5 locular, axile placentation, style about 5-5 mm long, stigma discoid, capitates, reddish or orange. Fruit capsule, globose, are formed rarely, about 2.5-3 cm across, apex beaked or rounded, seeds reniform, about 5 mm across, dark brown to black.

Evergreen erect shrubs, ca. 1-5m tall, glabrate. Stems woody. Branchlets terete, sparsely stellate pilose. Leaves simple, alternate, spiral; Stipules ca. 5-12 mm, filiform, hairy; petiole 0.5-2 cm long; lamina ca. 3-8 x 2-4 cm, ovate or elliptic-ovate, tapering at base, acuminate at apex, serrate-dentate along margins, glabrous or with few hairs on the veins beneath; secondary nerves 3-5 pairs. Flowers solitary, axillary on upper branches; pedicels ca. 1-7 cm, sparsely stellate pilose, articulate near apex; Epicalyx lobes 5-8, filiform, connate at base, 8-15 mm, sparsely stellate, apex obtuse or acute, Calyx campanulate, ca. 2 cm, stellate puberulent, lobes 5, ovate to lanceolate, Corolla ca. 4-9 cm across, pinkish to red, with or without dark centre; petals 5, twisted, obovate, pilose abaxially, apex rounded; staminal column ca. 4-8 cm long, exserted, antherifierous near the apex; anthers monothecous, reniform. Capsules ca. 2.5 cm long, glabrous, apex beaked.

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

Cultivated in gardens.

Cultivated

Throughout Assam

Not evaluated (IUCN).

Cultivated in garden. Leaves, flowers and seeds used in Ayurveda, Unani, Sidha and folk medicine.

Fresh petals used for blackening hairs and eye-brows.

Flowers check menstruation bleedings; buds cure seminal weaknesses.