Revision of some Polypetalous Genera and Orders: Hibsicus

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HIBISCUS, L. Accepting this genus with the limits assigned by Bentham and Hooker, the subgenera, so far as North America is concerned, would seem to be Euhibiscus [1], Abelmoschus [2], and Paritium [3]; the first, comprising the bulk of the genus, dividing into more or less well limited sections.

H. (MALVAVISCOIDES) TUBIFLORIS, DC. From the character and the original figure, the outlines of which have be reproduced by Alphonse de Candolle, it seems safe to refer to this the H. Bancroftianus of Macfadyen, the synonymy of which (excluding Malvaviscus penduliflorus) is correctly detailed in Watson's Bibl. Index. To it I refer, as a large-leaved form, no. 643 of Ghiesbreght, the leaves of which are sometimes 3-cleft.

H. LASIOCARPUS, Cav. Diss. iii. 159, t. 70, f. 1. This is the oldest and an appropriate name for the H. incanus of Schrader and Wendland (of which it is doubtful if the petals are ever sulphur-color), and the H. grandiflorus of Michaux. Cavanilles described and figured his species from a specimen in the herbarium of Jussieu, with upper leaves only. Var. OCCIDENTALIS, the H. Moscheutos? var. occidentalis, Torr. in Wilkes Expedition, H. Californicus of Kellogg, which grows on the Sacremento and San Joaquin in California, appears to be a form with a less hirsute but yet densely pubescent capsules. An intermediate form was collected by Thurber near Janos, in Chihuahua.

H. MOSCHEUTOS, L. We take it as fairly made out that H. roseus is the American species, somehow introduced into the South of Europe.

H. MILITARIS, Cav. To this apparently belongs H. Collinsiana, Nutt., as to Nuttall's plant collected by Ware, if a specimen from herb. Collins may be trusted. But in the Torreyan herbarium that species is represented by a leaf or two of H. Manihot, and a leaf with two flowers of H. esculentus.

H. (PARITIUM) TILIACEUS L. [3], and THESPESIA POPULNEA, Correa, have reached the Keys of Florida, both probably rather denizens than natives.

[1] Under the modern rules on sectional names, subgenus Euhibiscus would be subgenus Hibiscus. However, subgenera have not been much used in more recent work.
[2] Subgenus Abelmoschus is now usually segregated as a genus of the same name. However recent DNA studies indicate that Abelmoschus and several other segregate genera as nested within Hibiscus, and a revision of Hibiscus and allied genera is awaited.
[3] Subgenus Paritium is now usually segregated as genus Talipariti, with H. tiliaceus becoming T. tiliaceum. Like Abelmoschus, DNA studies indicate that it is nested within Hibiscus.

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