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Hibiscus ovalifolius

(Forssk.) Vahl (1790)

This name is accepted

Kingdom: Viridiplantae Phylum: Magnoliophyta Class/Clade: Eudicot-Rosids Order: Malvales Family: Malvaceae Genus: Hibiscus

Rock's hibiscus

Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Perennial herbs or shrubs 1-3 m tall.

Stems: Young stems green, stellate tomentose, later glabrate.

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves simple. Alternate. Blades basically orbicular in outline, 3-10(-12) cm long and wide, unlobed or obscurely to distinctly 3(-5)-lobed, both surfaces stellate pubescent. Apex acute. Base truncate to subcordate. Margins serrate to crenate-dentate. Petioles usually more than 1/2 the length of blades. Stipules subulate to filiform, 5-15 mm long, persistent.

Flowers: Flowers solitary, pedicels usually shorter than subtending petiole, not articulate; involucral bracts 5, connate at base, usually broadest above middle and abruptly narrowed to a caudate tip, up to 20(-30) mm long. Flowers bisexual (perfect). Calyx composed of connate sepals, 5-lobed or 5-parted, 1.7-2 cm long, winged in bud, lobed to near middle, lobes cordate-ovate, long-acuminate, midrib raised but eglandular. Corolla actinomorphic to moderately zygomorphic, corolla of 5 petals, flaring, obovate, distinct from each other but adnate at base to staminal column, sulfur-yellow, brownish maroon to maroon basally, 4-8 cm long, convolute in bud. Stamens 5 to numerous, monadelphous, forming a staminal column; staminal column included, 1.5-2 cm long; antheriferous for most of its length; filaments terminating the staminal column or borne below a 5-dentate apex; anthers monothecal. Pollen globose, echinate. Ovary superior, 5-celled or rarely appearing 10-celled by a vertical partition, the carpels borne in a single whorl or rarely seemingly superposed whorls, placentation axile; ovules 3 or more per cell; style exceeding the staminal column, 5-branched, branches erect, each terminated by an expanded stigma; stigmas maroon, appearing coherent.

Fruit: Loculicidally dehiscent capsules; ellipsoid; 1.8-2.5 cm long; the valves scarious; aristate; densely stellulate pubescent; exocarp and endocarp sometimes separating at maturity. Seeds up to 3 mm long; tomentose; angular-reniform or rounded-reniform.

Ploidy: 2n = 40; 80*

Habitat: Low elevation dry areas.

Elevation Range:

Historical Distribution

Uses and Culture

USES

Natural History

Statewide Status

Naturalized

Island Status

Kaua'i Naturalized
O'ahu Only found in cultivation
Maui Naturalized
Hawai'i Only found in cultivation

Dispersal Agents


Pollinators

Bibliography

Name Published In: Symb. Bot. 1: 50 (1790)

Other References

Wagner et al. 1990:884 (K [as H. calyphyllus]); Staples et al. 2003:14 (Syn. H. calyphyllus = H. ovalifolius); Staples & Herbst 2005:387 (KEY), 391 (DESCR); Oppenheimer & Pezzillo 2024:61 (WM)

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Locality Habitat Basis of Record Description Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
1 Hibiscus ovalifolius Cultivated by J.F.Rock in Lester Mark's Garden, Nuuanu Valley Preserved_Specimen Degener, O. 27812 Oahu BISH 1961-03-25
2 Hibiscus ovalifolius Captain Cook, Amy Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden, native Hibiscus garden Preserved_Specimen Low growing, spreading shrub; Corolla yellow, dark-purple eye; stigmas purple; anthers large; orange yellow, covering 3/4 of the style. Rozett, J.R. 4 Hawaii BISH 1981-11-16
3 Hibiscus ovalifolius Foster Botanic Gardens Preserved_Specimen Flowers sulphur-yellow with dark red-purple center. Neal, M.C. Oahu BISH 1946-04-22
4 Hibiscus ovalifolius Waiawa Preserved_Specimen Rock, J.F.C. 17141 Kauai BISH 1919-04-01
5 Hibiscus ovalifolius Cultivated in State Hibiscus Garden near Kapiolani Park Preserved_Specimen Degener, O. 27375 Oahu BISH 1961-05-12
6 Hibiscus ovalifolius Palehua Growing in a full sun disturbed area as well as shaded understory species. Associated; Planchonella sandwicense, Schinus terebinthifolius, Psidium cattleyanum, Nestegis sandwicensis, Passiflora edulis. Preserved_Specimen Flower yellow with bright red center. Flower about 5cm in diameter, observed by staff to be larger. Plants growing up to 5-6 m in areas that have had the canopy opened. Arthur, K. 129 Oahu BISH 2025-06-13
7 Hibiscus ovalifolius Lyon Arboretum; Section 34 lower Myoporum Flats Growing in open sun. Preserved_Specimen Rather prostrate shrub; hirsute through-out. Flowers pale yellow with dark purple eye. Spence, G. 395 Oahu BISH 1976-08-01
8 Hibiscus ovalifolius West Maui, Lahaina District, Honokahua Preserved_Specimen Sprawling 1-1.5 meter patch approximatelyt 500 m(squared). Flowers yellow with a dark marron spot in center. No seeds observed but old dried capsules present. Apparently locally and sparingly naturalized. Oppenheimer, H.L. 32334 Maui BISH 2023-03-12
9 Hibiscus ovalifolius Waimea Arboretum Preserved_Specimen flower red center Simon, C. 745723 Oahu BISH 1983-05-02
10 Hibiscus ovalifolius Honolulu, from collector's garden, originally purchased at a plant sale Preserved_Specimen Upright shrub 3 ft. tall. Flowers 8 cm across. Fruiting is prolific, with viable seeds. Huppman, L. Oahu BISH 2007-07-03
11 Hibiscus ovalifolius Koko Crater Preserved_Specimen 5' shrub; dull green hersuite leaves; yellow flower, purple eye Herbst, D.R. 4015 Oahu BISH 1974-05-17
12 Hibiscus ovalifolius Kepuka W of Makaikona Bridge by iron gate Preserved_Specimen Hobdy, R.W. 169 Kauai BISH 1970-01-15
13 Hibiscus ovalifolius Koko Crater Branch of Foster Botanic Garden Preserved_Specimen Herbst, D.R. 4013 Oahu BISH 1974-05-17
14 Hibiscus ovalifolius Foster Botanic Gardens Preserved_Specimen Woolford, H.A. Oahu BISH 1949-09-01
15 Hibiscus ovalifolius Waiawa; (private home) Preserved_Specimen Rock, J.F.C. 16038 Kauai BISH 1919-04-01
16 Hibiscus ovalifolius Ke Kuaaina, Na Laau Hawaii, Diamond Head Preserved_Specimen Imura, J. Oahu BISH 1963-05-25
17 Hibiscus ovalifolius Honolulu, 1420 Piikoi St., residence of E.L. Caum. Preserved_Specimen Caum, E.L. Oahu BISH 1930-10-08
18 Hibiscus ovalifolius Honolulu, 1420 Piikoi St., residence of E.L. Caum. Preserved_Specimen Caum, E.L. Oahu BISH 1930-10-08
19 Hibiscus ovalifolius Honolulu, Diamond Head, Ke Kuaaina, Na Laau Hawaii Arboretum Preserved_Specimen Munro, J.T. Oahu BISH 1963-05-15
20 Hibiscus ovalifolius Koko Crater Preserved_Specimen Herbst, D.R. 4014 Oahu BISH 1974-05-17
21 Hibiscus ovalifolius Honolulu, 1420 Piikoi Street; residence of E.L.Caum Preserved_Specimen Caum, E.L. Oahu BISH 1930-05-08
22 Hibiscus ovalifolius Kauai Preserved_Specimen Cliff, G. 27290 Kauai BISH 1957-01-01
23 Hibiscus ovalifolius Makaweli arid, along fence row by the highway, the presumed wild population in the Prosopis thicket by Eleanor Robinson's back gate Preserved_Specimen erect, sparingly branched shrubby; flower yellow, purple center Herbst, D.R. 2409 Kauai BISH 1972-05-18
24 Hibiscus ovalifolius Honolulu; Bishop Museum Full sun. Preserved_Specimen Shrub 2 m. tall. Flower is mimosa with a cardinal red center, 7-8 cm across. Lau, J. 1081 Oahu BISH 1985-06-13
25 Hibiscus ovalifolius Waimea District; along Highway 50 E. of Waimea, just w. of Waipao Stream and N. of Pakala Secondary vegetation with Prosopis pallida dominant and cattle pastures, along roadside. Naturalized. Small localized population along roadside fence. Preserved_Specimen Perennial herb or subshrub to 30 cm tall, stems procumbent or trailing. Corolla bright yellow with purple-brown center, fragrant (3 PM). Lorence, D.H. 7605 Kauai BISH 1994-11-16
26 Hibiscus ovalifolius Honolulu, 3759 Round Top Dr garden at edge of ridgeline mesic-wet forest Preserved_Specimen shrub to 3 m; corolla sulfur yelloa; base leaf brown Ray, G. 65 Oahu BISH 1998-01-09
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