| Flower Petal
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| Type
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Useful
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Shrub |
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Hibiscus
Genus |
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| Other Names for this Plant |
Chinese Hibiscus, Tropical Hibiscus, Karkade, Red Tea, Red Sorrel, Jamaica Sorrel, Rosella
Originated in South East Asia, but not known in a truly wild situation now!
The leaves are alternate, simple, ovate to lanceolate, often with a toothed or lobed margin. The flowers are large, conspicuous, trumpet-shaped, with five or more petals, ranging from white to pink, red, purple or yellow, and from 4-15 cm broad.The color of the Hibiscus grows darker as it ages. The fruit is a dry five-lobed capsule, containing several seeds in each lobe, which are released when the capsule splits open at maturity.
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Compare Species
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Order of Mallows |
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Main, Real, Two First-Leaves (Dicots) |
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Real, Two First-Leaves (Dicots) |
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Half Capsule Seed Division |
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Magnolia Division |
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Seed Plants |
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Multiple Spore Sub-Kingdom |
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Multicellular Land Plants |
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Cells with a Nucleus |
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The hibiscus has had a long history of use in Africa and neighboring tropical countries. Its fragrant flowers have been used in sachets and perfumes. Fiber from H. sabdariffa has been used to fashion rope as a jute substitute and the fleshy red calyx is used in the preparation of teas, drinks, jams and jellies, and the leaves have been used like spinach. The plant is used widely in Egypt for the treatment of cardiac and nerve diseases and has been described as a diuretic. It has been used in the treatment of cancers. The mucilagenous leaves are used as a topical emollient in Africa. In western countries, hibiscus flowers are often found as components of herbal tea mixtures
Medicinal Uses: Chinese hibiscus is a sweet, astringent, cooling herb that checks bleeding, soothes irritated tissues and relaxes spasms. The flowers are aphrodisiac, demulcent, emmenagogue, emollient, and refrigerant. They are used internally in the treatment of excessive and painful menstruation, cystitis, venereal diseases, feverish illnesses, bronchial catarrh, and coughs and to promote hair growth. An infusion of the flowers is given as a cooling drink to ill people. The leaves are anodyne, aperient, emollient, and laxative. A decoction is used as a lotion in the treatment of fevers. The leaves and flowers are beaten into a paste and poulticed onto cancerous swellings and mumps. The flowers are used in the treatment of carbuncles, mumps, fever, and sores. The root is a good source of mucilage and is used as a substitute for marsh mallow (Althaea officinalis) in the treatment of coughs and colds. A paste made from the root is used in the treament of venereal diseases
African folk medicine uses hibiscus as a diuretic, to relieve pressure in the gallbladder, and to relax the uterus. The mucliages in the herb make it a mild laxative, but they are also helpful when the herb is used as a wash to treat weeping eczema.
Food Uses: Young leaves are sometimes used as a spinach substitute. Flowers - raw or cooked. They can also be made into a kind of pickle or used as a purple dye for coloring foods such as preserved fruits and cooked vegetables. A nutritional analysis is available. Root - it is edible but very fibrous. Mucilaginous, without very much flavor
Other Notes: The juice from the petals is used in China as shoe blacking and mascara. A dye is made from the petals.
A good quality fiber is obtained from the stems. In warm sub-tropical areas the fibers can be up to 3 meters long, but in Britain they are likely to be much shorter. The fiber is used for coarse fabrics, nets, and paper.
In the Philippines, the gumamela (local name for hibiscus) is used by children as part of a bubble-making pastime. The flowers and leaves are crushed until the sticky juices come out. Hollow papaya stalks are then dipped into this and used as straws for blowing bubbles.
The hibiscus flower is traditionally worn by Hawaiian women. A single flower is tucked behind the ear. Which ear is used indicates the wearer's availability for marriage.
Hibiscus syriacus is the national flower of South Korea.
Hibiscus rosa-sinensis is the national flower (Bunga Raya) of Malaysia
Hibiscus
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Hibiscus
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Hibiscus
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Hibiscus
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Hibiscus
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Hibiscus
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Hibiscus
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| Comment:
Hibiscus, Hibiscus rosa-sinensis |
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