Botanical Magazine 106 - 1880.pdf - hibiscus.org

TAB. 6524.
HIBISCUS SCHIZOPETALUS.
Native of Eastern Tropical Africa.
Nat. Ord. MALVACE^:.•Tribe HIBISCEJE.
Genus HIBISCUS, Linn.; {Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. PI. vol. i. p. 207.)
HIBISCUS schizopetalus ; glaber, fruticosus, foliis petiolatis ovatis ellipticisve acutis
grosse serratis basin versus integerrimis 3-nerviis, floribus solitariis longe
pedunculatispendulis pedúnculo medio articulato, involucelloO v. minimo, calyce
cylindraceo spathaceo apice obtuse 3-lobo demum fisso, petalis amplis longe
unguiculatis flabellatim multifidis lobis linearibus obtusis, tubo stamineo lon-
gissimo péndulo, antberis sparsis longe stipitatis, ¿tyli ramis 5 filiformibus ascen-
dentibus, stigmatibus globosis, capsula basi calyce spathaceo inclusa oblongo-
cylindracea obtusa obscure 5-loba torulosa, seminibus brunneis glabria.
H. Rosa Sinensis var. schizopetalus, Masters in Gard. Chron. 1879, p. J¿f& ;
Boulger, I. c. p. 372. '
HIBISCUS sp. Kirk and Oliver in Journ Linn. Soc. vol. xv. p. 478.
This singular and beautiful plant has attracted much
attention, on account both of its horticultural and botanical
interest ; differing as it does from all other species in the
remarkable character of its petals, and yet presenting so
many points of resemblance to a world-wide garden
favourite whose native country is unknown (the H. Rosa
Sinensis), as to have suggested its specific identity with
that plant. The differences, however, between this and
U. Rosa Sinensis are a great deal too many and too impor-
tant to render the idea of this being a sport or variety
of that plant tenable. They are, firstly, the petals, which,
however, might have originated as a sport ; then the
pendulous flower, the suppression of the epicalyx, the
longer tubular calyx with obtuse lobes ; above all, the
long fruit with small smooth seeds. I have examined
specimens of H. Rosa Sinensis from thirty different localities,
and found none approaching R. schizopetalus in any of the
above characters. Too much importance should not be
attributed to the supposition that the native country of
XOVEMBEB 1ST, 1880.