Botanical description of hibiscus rosa sinensis notes
Habit:
Perennial shrub.
Root:
Tap root system.
Stem:
Aerial, erect, cylindrical, woody and branched.
Leaf:
Simple, Alternate, petiolate, stipulate, serrate, glabrous, apex acuminate
with multicostate reticulate venation.
Inflorescence:
Solitary cyme and axillary.
Flower:
Pedicel jointed, bracteate, bracteolate, bisexual, large, showy,
pentamerous, dichlamydeous, actinomorphic, complete and hypogynous
and mucilage is present in floral parts.
Epicalyx:
5 to 8 bracteoles outer to the calyx. They are green and free.
Calyx:
Sepals 5, green, gamosepalous showing valvate aestivation and odd
sepal is posterior in position.
Corolla:
Petals 5, variously coloured, polypetalous but fused at the base and
showing twisted aestivation.
Androecium:
Numerous stamens, monadelphous, filaments are fused to form a
staminal tube around the style. Staminal tube is red. Anthers are
monothecous, reniform, yellow, transversely attached to the filament,
dehisce transversely and extrorse.
Gynoecium:
Ovary superior, pentacarpellary and syncarpous. Ovary pentalocular
with many ovules per locule on axile placentation. Style simple, long,
slender and passes through the staminal tube. Stigma 5, capitate and
coloured.
Fruit:
Mostly abortive.
ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE
1. Fibre plants:
Gossypium barbadense (Egyptian cotton), G. hirsutum (American
cotton), G. herbaceum (Cotton) and several other species of Gossypium
yield cotton fibres of commercial value. The fibres are obtained from the
surface of seeds.
Hibiscus cannabinus (Deccan hemp) yields bast fibres which are
used for making ropes.
2. Food plants:
The tender fruit of Abelmoschus esculentus (lady’s finger) is used as
vegetable. The leaves and sepals of Hibiscus sabdariffa (A kind of ‘pulichai’)
are used for making pickles, jam and jelly. A delicious ‘chutney’ is prepared
from the leaves and sepals of H. cannabinus (Pulichai keerai) and
H. sabdariffa.
3. Timber Plants:
Timber obtained from Thespesia populnea (portia tree) is useful for
making boat, furniture and agricultural implements.
4. Medicinal plants:
Root and leaves of Abutilon indicum (Thuthi) and Malva sylvestris
are used against fever. Roots of Malva sylvestris and Althaea rosea are
used for treating whooping cough and dysentery respectively.
5. Ornamental plants:
Althaea rosea (Hollyhock), Hibiscus rosa-sinensis (Shoe flower)
H. schizopetalus (A kind of shoe flower with dissected petals) are grown
in gardens.
