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Coulter's hibiscus, desert rose-mallow

lindenleaf rosemallow

Habit Subshrubs, to 2 m, herbage with appressed-stellate and simple hairs throughout. Herbs, perennial, or subshrubs, to 2(–4) m, herbage densely stellate-tomentulose throughout.
Stems

stellate hairs of younger stems dense, appressed, 4-armed, arms approximate in pairs, aligned with stem axis, lines of fine, curved hairs absent or obscured;

older growth grayish, rough, glabrescent.

sometimes also with longer, stiff, simple hairs, fine, curved hairs absent or obscured.

Leaves

stipules linear-subulate, 3–10 mm;

petiole primarily in distal 1/2, sometimes themselves shallowly pinnately lobed, surfaces scabridulous, hairs appressed-stellate, obscure nectary present abaxially on midvein near base.

stipules linear, 3–10 mm;

petiole 2/3 to equaling blade, shorter in inflorescence, fine, curved hairs absent or obscured adaxially;

blade somewhat discolorous, broadly to transversely ovate, unlobed or shallowly 3(–5)-lobed, rarely proximalmost deeply 5–7-lobed, mostly 6.5–11 × 6–12 cm, base cordate, often deeply so, margins unevenly serrate or crenate-serrate, apex broadly acute to short-acuminate, lobes broadly triangular, surfaces stellate-tomentulose, slitlike nectary present abaxially at or near base of midvein.

Inflorescences

solitary flowers in axils of distal leaves.

solitary flowers in axils of distal leaves, sometimes appearing racemose by reduction of subtending leaves.

Pedicels

jointed below apices, to 17 cm, usually much exceeding subtending leaves;

involucellar bractlets 8–14, linear-subulate, 1–2 cm, margins ciliate.

jointed at bases, to 2.5 cm, shorter than subtending petioles;

involucellar bractlets 9–12, sometimes wide-spreading, terete, 0.8–1.6 cm, margins minutely pubescent, setose, apex 2-fid or appendaged, sometimes obscurely so.

Flowers

erect or ascending;

calyx divided 3/4+ length, funnelform, 1.4–2.2 cm, equaling or slightly exceeding involucel, lobes narrowly lanceolate-triangular, margins ciliate, apices attenuate, nectaries absent;

corolla rotate, petals yellow to cream, usually with dark to obscure maroon lines basally, asymmetrically obovate to broadly obovate, 1.6–4 × 1–3.5 cm, margins ± entire, sparingly hairy abaxially where exposed in bud;

staminal column straight, yellow or cream, 0.6–1.4 cm, bearing filaments throughout, free portion of filaments not secund, 1–3 mm;

pollen yellow-orange;

styles cream, 1.5–5 mm;

stigmas maroon or cream.

horizontal or declinate;

calyx divided 1/2–2/3 length, campanulate, 1.5–2.4 cm, enlarging in fruit, lobes triangular, with 3 prominent ribs, 2 marginal, 1 medial, medial bearing conspicuous nectary, apices acute or acuminate, variously invested with both minute, stellate hairs and hispid with much larger, simple or stellate, pustular-based hairs, latter often largely confined to veins;

corolla narrowly funnelform, petals pink, maroon at base, obliquely obovate, 5.5–9.5 × 2.5–4.5 cm, margins entire to repand or crenate, finely hairy abaxially where exposed in bud;

staminal column straight, maroon, 3–4.5 cm, bearing filaments ± throughout, free portion of filaments not secund, 0.5–1.5 mm;

pollen maroon;

styles dark maroon, 1–3 mm;

stigmas dark maroon.

Capsules

pale olivaceous gray with darker median stripe on each valve, ovoid or ellipsoid, 0.7–1.7 cm, to 2/3 calyces, apex rounded, hairy near apex or glabrous throughout.

brown, ovoid, 2–2.5 cm, apex acute and apiculate or acuminate, surface obscured by pale yellowish, simple, dense, antrorsely appressed hairs.

Seeds

dark brown, angulately reniform-ovoid, 2.4–3 mm, silky-hairy ± throughout.

olivaceous brown to reddish or purplish brown, angulately reniform-ovoid, 2.8–3.8 mm, glabrous.

2n

= 72.

Hibiscus coulteri

Hibiscus furcellatus

Phenology Flowering nearly year-round. Flowering year-round.
Habitat Desert, rocky slopes Freshwater marshes, pine flatwoods, sand pine scrub, fill, canal margins, waste areas
Elevation 600–1600 m (2000–5200 ft) 0–50 m (0–200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; NM; TX; Mexico (Baja California, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, Nuevo León, Sonora, Zacatecas)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
FL; HI; s Mexico; West Indies; Central America (Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama); n South America; c South America
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Hibiscus coulteri has been recorded in the southern half of Arizona; in Otero County, New Mexico; and in the region west of the Pecos River in Texas.

A naturally occurring hybrid between Hibiscus coulteri and H. denudatus (Hibiscus ×sabei Weckesser) has recently been documented from western Texas (W. Weckesser 2011).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Hibiscus furcellatus is found primarily in counties along the central and southern parts of Florida’s Atlantic coast, although there are a few inland records as well.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 6, p. 256. FNA vol. 6, p. 259.
Parent taxa Malvaceae > subfam. Malvoideae > Hibiscus Malvaceae > subfam. Malvoideae > Hibiscus
Sibling taxa
H. acetosella, H. aculeatus, H. biseptus, H. clypeatus, H. coccineus, H. dasycalyx, H. denudatus, H. furcellatus, H. grandiflorus, H. laevis, H. martianus, H. moscheutos, H. mutabilis, H. poeppigii, H. radiatus, H. rosa-sinensis, H. schizopetalus, H. striatus, H. syriacus, H. trionum
H. acetosella, H. aculeatus, H. biseptus, H. clypeatus, H. coccineus, H. coulteri, H. dasycalyx, H. denudatus, H. grandiflorus, H. laevis, H. martianus, H. moscheutos, H. mutabilis, H. poeppigii, H. radiatus, H. rosa-sinensis, H. schizopetalus, H. striatus, H. syriacus, H. trionum
Name authority Harvey ex A. Gray: Smithsonian Contr. Knowl. 3(5): 23. (1852) Lamarck: in J. Lamarck et al., Encycl. 3: 358. (1789)
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