Addisonia 37 



(Plate 99) 

 HIBISCUS MOSCHEUTOS 



Swamp Rose-Mallow 



Native of eastern United States 

 Family Mai,vacbab Mai^low Family 



Hibiscus Moscheutos L. Sp. PI. 693. 1753. 

 ^Hibiscus palustris L. Sp. PI. 693. 1753. 

 Hibiscus opulifoUus Greene, Leaflets 2: 65. 1910. 



A perennial herb, usually five or six feet tall, with numerous cane- 

 like stems. The leaves are ovate or ovate-lanceolate, obtuse or 

 slightly cordate at the base, acuminate at the apex, palmately 

 veined, dentate or slightly crenate, densely but finely white stellate- 

 pubescent beneath and usually only slightly pubescent above. The 

 blades of the largest leaves are somewhat three-lobed. The stems, 

 petioles and veins are with or without red pigmentation. The 

 petioles and peduncles are often adnate to each other. The calyx- 

 lobes are ovate. The corollas are large (often as much as 7 inches 

 in diameter) and conspicuous; in color they range from white 

 through various shades of pink, with or without an eye which is 

 of a darker shade than the blade. The stamens are of nearly 

 equal length. The pollen is either white or yellow. The style- 

 branches are short, spreading but not recurving, and with decidedly 

 expanded stigmatic surfaces. The capsules are ovoid, about one 

 inch long, glabrous or slightly pubescent, and abruptly short- 

 pointed or blunt. The seeds are reniform and glabrous. 



This species grows in abundance along the coastal region of the 

 eastern United States, extending inland in scattered stations to 

 Missouri. It evidently reaches its greatest development in numbers 

 in the marshes along the coast of central and southern New Jersey, 

 where its tall vigorous growth and gayly-colored, conspicuous 

 flowers make it a noticeable and popularly well known feature of the 

 vegetation. Here there is a medley of flower-colors, illustrating 

 well the polymorphism that has long been recognized in this species. 

 Several of the forms have been found to breed true (Torreya 17: 

 142-148) as distinct races; numerous other races undoubtedly 

 exist. There will probably always be some doubt as to the identity, 

 at least in respect to flower color, of the particular American plant 

 which I^innaeus included in his citations. The flower shown in 

 the accompanying illustration is from a cultivated plant whose 

 seed-parent grew wild at Hunter's Island in Long Island Sound. 

 The type which it represents may be found in nearly all stations 



