Hibiscus sturtii commonly known as "hill hibiscus",[2]is a flowering plant in the family Malvaceae. It is a small shrub with pink, mauve or white flowers, hairy grey-green leaves and is endemic to Australia. Two forms are recognized; var. sturtii and var. muelleri.[3]
| Hill hibiscus | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Malvales |
| Family: | Malvaceae |
| Genus: | Hibiscus |
| Species: | H. sturtii
|
| Binomial name | |
| Hibiscus sturtii | |
Description
editHibiscus sturtii is a small understory shrub to 60 cm (24 in) high, occasionally prostrate, grey-green leaves thickly covered in star-shaped hairs, egg to lance-shaped or oblong-lance shaped, 2–5 cm (0.79–1.97 in) long, rounded at the apex and the petiole 4–18 mm (0.16–0.71 in) long. The pink, mauve or white flower petals may have a dark basal spot, corolla 1.5–2.5 cm (0.59–0.98 in) long, calyx lobes lance or triangular shaped, 8–13 mm (0.31–0.51 in) long and the peduncle 6–33 mm (0.24–1.30 in) long. Flowering occurs from autumn to spring and the fruit is a densely hairy globular capsule 8–10 mm (0.31–0.39 in) long.[2][4]
Taxonomy and naming
editHibiscus sturtii was first formally described in 1848 by William Jackson Hooker and the description was published in Journal of an Expedition into the Interior of Tropical Australia.[5][6]The specific epithet (sturtii) is in honour of explorer Charles Napier Sturt.[7]
Distribution and habitat
editHill hibiscus grows in a variety of soils and locations on mainland Australia except Victoria.[4][8]
References
edit- ^ "Hibiscus sturtii". Australian Plant Census.
- ^ a b Mitchell, A.S.; Norris, E.H. "Hibiscus sturtii". PlantNET-NSW Flora online. Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
- ^ "Hibiscus sturtii, Atlas of Living Australia, Retrieved December 30th, 2017".
- ^ a b "Hibiscus sturtii". Plant Profiles. Australian Plant Society (Australia). Retrieved 5 July 2024.
- ^ "Hibiscus sturtii". Australian Plant Name Index. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
- ^ Hooker, W.J. (1848). "Hibiscus sturtii". Journal of an Expedition into the Interior of Tropical Australia: 363. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
- ^ George, A.S; Sharr, F.A (2021). Western Australian Plant Names and their meanings (4th ed.). Kardinya: Four Gables. p. 325. ISBN 9780958034197.
- ^ "Hibiscus sturtii". Florabase-the Western Australian Flora. Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions. Retrieved 7 July 2024.