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striped rose-mallow

comfort-root, pineland hibiscus

Habit Herbs, perennial, or subshrubs, to 0.5–1(–2) m, herbage scabrous throughout, hairs scattered, stellate, stout, pustular-based.
Stems

additionally with line of fine, curved hairs.

Leaves

stipules linear or linear-filiform, 2–6 mm;

petiole of lower leaf 2/3 to equaling blade, much shorter in inflorescence, with fine, curved hairs adaxially in addition to normal pubescence;

blade broadly to transversely ovate, 3–5-fid, sometimes lobed, often unlobed in inflorescence, 3.5–9.5 × 4.5–13.5 cm, narrower in inflorescence, base cordate to cuneate, lobes obovate to oblanceolate, margins coarsely and irregularly crenate-serrate, apex acute to short-acuminate, surfaces scabrous, slitlike nectary present abaxially at or near base of midvein.

Inflorescences

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

Pedicels

inconspicuously jointed at base, to 1.5 cm;

involucellar bractlets 8–11, linear-subulate, 1–1.6 cm, margins not or inconspicuously ciliate, apex 2-fid, bristly-hairy.

Flowers

horizontal or declinate;

calyx divided 2/3 length, campanulate, 1.6–2.8 cm, lobes triangular, with 3 prominent, often reddish ribs, 1 medial, 2 marginal, medial with prominent nectary, apices acute or acuminate, veins and sometimes spaces between them with conspicuous simple or few-armed, stellate hairs;

corolla funnelform, petals pale yellow to white, dark red basally, obovate, 5–8 × 2.5–5 cm, margins ± entire to crenate-dentate, sometimes undulate, minutely hairy abaxially where exposed in bud;

staminal column straight, dark red, 2–4.5 cm, bearing filaments ± throughout, free portion of filaments not secund, 1.5–2.5 mm;

pollen dark red;

styles dark red, pink, or white, 9–22 mm;

stigmas dark red, pink, or white.

Capsules

medium brown to stramineous, ovoid, 1.2–2 cm, apex acute to acuminate, variously antrorsely hispid, more minutely stellate-hairy.

Seeds

reddish brown to dark brown, sometimes with raised, pale concentric lines, angulately reniform-ovoid, 3.3–4.5 mm, sparingly to moderately papillose-verrucose.

2n

= 72.

Hibiscus striatus

Hibiscus aculeatus

Phenology Flowering Jun–Sep.
Habitat Pine savannas, flatwoods, swales, roadside ditches
Elevation 0–100 m (0–300 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
TX; Mexico; South America; West Indies; Central America (Honduras)
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; FL; GA; LA; MS; NC; SC; TX
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Subspecies 3 (1 in the flora).

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

Hibiscus aculeatus ranges northeast to Carteret County in North Carolina, south to Lake County in central Florida, and west to Hardin County in eastern Texas. Within these limits its distribution is confined entirely to the coastal plain.

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

Source FNA vol. 6, p. 266. 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. coulteri, 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. syriacus, H. trionum
H. acetosella, H. biseptus, H. clypeatus, H. coccineus, H. coulteri, 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
Subordinate taxa
H. striatus subsp. lambertianus
Name authority Cavanilles: Diss. 3: 146, plate 54, fig. 1. (1787) Walter: Fl. Carol., 177. (1788)
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