Hibiscus caesius

F. von Mueller

MalvaceaeFlowers

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(c) Troos van der Merwe, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Troos van der Merwe

iNaturalist · cc-by-nc
(c) Troos van der Merwe, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

What to Eat

Edible parts: Buds

The young buds are eaten raw.

Where to Find It

It is a tropical plant. It grows in northern Australia. It grows on heavy soils along stream banks. It needs an open sunny position and well drained soil.

Africa, Asia, Australia, Botswana, Namibia, Pakistan, Southern Africa,

Countries: United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan, Armenia, Angola, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Bahrain, Burundi, Benin, Brunei, Bhutan, Botswana, Congo (DRC), Central African Republic, Congo (Republic), Cote d'Ivoire, Cameroon, China, Cape Verde, Djibouti, Algeria, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Georgia, Ghana, Gambia, Guinea, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Indonesia, Israel, India, Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Japan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Cambodia, Comoros, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Laos, Lebanon, Sri Lanka, Liberia, Lesotho, Libya, Morocco, Madagascar, Mali, Myanmar, Mongolia, Mauritania, Mauritius, Maldives, Malawi, Malaysia, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Nepal, Oman, Philippines, Pakistan, Qatar, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Sudan, Singapore, Sierra Leone, Senegal, Somalia, South Sudan, Sao Tome & Principe, Syria, Eswatini, Chad, Togo, Thailand, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, Tunisia, Turkey, Taiwan, Tanzania, Uganda, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Yemen, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How to Identify

A small herb which grows each year from seed. It has a few erect stems. It grows 0.5-1.5 m high and spreads 0.5-1 m wide. The stems are smooth. The leaves are 3-7 cm long by 3-5 cm wide. They are divided into 5-7 sword shaped lobes. These are 2.5-7 cm long. They are dark green. There are teeth along the edge. The flowers are 6-8 cm across and yellow with a red blotch in the centre. The flowers occur singly in the axils of the upper leaves. The fruit is a capsule 2-2.5 cm long by 2 cm wide. It is round and hairy. The seeds are smooth.

How to Grow

Plants are grown from seed.

Production

Plants grow rapidly in the wet season.

Notes

There are about 220 Hibiscus species.

Names & Synonyms

Hibiscus gibsonii Stocks ex Harv.Hibiscus pentaphyllus F. Muell.

References (4)

Elliot, W.R., & Jones, D.L., 1990, Encyclopedia of Australian Plants suitable for cultivation. Vol 5. Lothian. p 360 (As Hibiscus pentaphyllus)
IRVINE, (As Hibiscus pentaphyllus)
Paczkowska, G. & Chapman, A.R., 2000, The Western Australian Flora. A Descriptive Catalogue. Western Australian Herbarium. p 290 (As Hibiscus pentaphyllus)
Wheeler, J.R.(ed.), 1992, Flora of the Kimberley Region. CALM, Western Australian Herbarium, p 218 (As Hibiscus pentaphyllus)