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Section Lilibiscus is a small section of the genus Hibiscus, which is nested in section Bombicella, where Hibiscus peralbus may be the sister group. It contains around 10 species, native to the Indian and Pacific Ocean areas.
The origin of the best known species of the section, Hibiscus rosa-sinensis, is unclear. It grows wild in many regions, including China and India, but may be an escape from cultivation. It may be a cultigen, and a compilospecies - many cultivated forms include other species of the section in their ancestry.. A wide variety of chromosome counts have been reported from Hibiscus rosa-sinensis (36, 38, 40, 44, 46, 52, 63, 70, 76, 84, 90, 92, 118, 132, 144), so it is possible that cryptic species are present. Cultivars are numerous - possibly exceeding 1,000.
The other species are Hibiscus schizosepalus from East Africa, Hibiscus cameronii from Madagascar, Hibiscus boryanus from Mauritius and Reunion, Hibiscus fragilis from Reunion, Hibiscus liliiflorus from Mauritius and Rodriguez, Hibiscus denisonii and Hibiscus storckii from Fiji, and Hibiscus arnottianus, Hibiscus kokio and Hibiscus waimeae from Hawaii.
The hybrid between Hibiscus rosa-sinensis and Hibiscus schizosepalus is known as Hibiscus ×archeri.
Malvaceae Info (Home)
The Hibiscus Pages
Lilibiscus gallery
© 2009 Stewart Robert Hinsley