HIBISCUS 



HIBISCUS 



743 



nearly or quite glabrous above, the long petiole often 

 joined to the peduncle; involucre bracts linear, nearly 

 or quite us long aa the tomentose calyx: tis. very large 

 (4-7-8 in. broad), light rose-color (or v^'hite in var. 

 albus), with a purple eye: capsule glabrous. Marshes 

 along the coast from Mass. to Fla. and west to L. Michi- 

 gan. B.M. 882. B.R. 17:14G3; 33:7. Mn. 2:161. Gng. 

 2:227. E. ro.seus, Thore, of Europe, a rose-colored 

 form, is considered to be a naturalized form of this 

 American species. R.H. 1879:10. — One of the best of 

 the Marsh Mallows, thriving in any good garden soil. Of 

 easiest culture and perfectly hardy. Blooms in Aug. 

 and Sept. The foliage is strong and effective. The 

 most generally cultivated of the hardy herbaceous 

 kinds. The form known as Crimson Eye (clear white 

 with a crimson center) was introduced 1894 by Wm. F 

 Bassett & Son. It was found in a swamp in New Jersey. 

 There is some question, however, as to whether it is 

 specifically the same as //. Mos'-lwntoH. The tls, are 

 pure white (except the center), expand wide, and the 

 ivs. are bronze-tinted. The carpels are more attenuate. 



10. inc&.nus, Wendl. Much like H. MoAcheiitos, and 

 sometimes passing for it in the trade: Ivs. smaller and 

 narrower, ovate-lanceolate, not lobed, serrate-toothed: 

 fls. sulfur-yellow, with acrimson eye. S. Car. and south. 

 — Seems to be hardy in the North with a mulch protec- 

 tion. 



11. Californicus, Kell. Strong growing, ."". ft., the stem 

 terete or slightly grooved above, more or less pubes- 

 cent: Ivs. distinctly cordate, ovate, shallow-toothed and 

 not lobed, dull ashy gray beneath : involucre bracts 

 hairy: corolla white or rose, with a purple eye, 3-5 in. 

 across: capsule pubescent. Calif. — Gray regards this 

 as a form of 0. lasiocarpus, Cav. (var. occideyifdiis, 

 Gray). A portrait of H. lasiocarpus will be found in 

 G.F. 1:426. Although the name J7. Californicus is com- 

 mon iu the trade, it is a question howmueh of the stock. 

 if any, is this species. Certainly some of it is R. Moi^- 

 cheutos. From JI. MoscJieiitos this species is told by its 

 cordate ashy-tomentoso Ivs. and hairy-ciliate involucre 

 liracts. The plant known to the trade as H. Califortii- 

 rus is hardy. 



CC. Lvs. stroughj lobed. 



12. grandifldrus, Michx. Tall and stout (3-8 ft.), the 

 terete reddish stem becoming glabrous: Ivs. large, 3- 

 lohed, the lobes ovate-acuminate or ovate-oblong-acu- 

 niinate, the side ones widely spreading, blunt-toothed 

 or even again lobed: fls. very large (6-8 in. across), 

 white or rose, with deeper eye. Ga., Fla. west. — Aside 

 from the large fls. and lobed Ivs., this is very like H. 

 Moscheiilos. It is doubtful if the true If. gra)tdifh:>rus 

 is in the trade. 



AAA. Shruhs, hardy in the ?rorlh {or in IJic middle 

 staie.'i} . 



13. Syriacus, Linn. (AJfhrp^a frhtex, Hort). Shrubby 

 Althea. Rose of Sharon. Figs. 1056, 1057. Shrub. 

 6-12 ft. high, much branched, nearly or quite glabrous: 



Ivs. rather small, short-petioled, 

 strongly 3-ribbed, triangular- or 

 rhombic-ovate, mostly 3-lobed 

 and with many rounded teeth or 

 notches: fls. solitary in the axils 

 on the young wood (late in the 

 season), somewhat bell-shaped, 

 2-3 in. long, rose or purple, usu- 

 ally darker at the base : pod 

 short, splitting into 5 valves. 

 Asia. B.M. 83. R.H. 1845:133 

 (var. sj9eo''o.s7(5, with double fls.). 

 — One of the commonest of orna- 

 mental shrubs, and hardy in On- 

 tario. It is immensely variable in 

 character of fls., the colors rang- 

 ing from blue-purple to violet- 

 red, flesh color and white ; also 

 fall doul)le forms. There are 

 forms with variegated Ivs. Col- 

 ored plates of some of the double-fld. forms will be 

 found in Gn. 52:1150. The species thrives in any good 

 soil. Prop, by seeds, by cuttings of ripened wood taken 

 in the fall, and named vars. by grafting on the common 



seedling stock. Nativity uncertain, but probably not 

 Syrian, as Linnii?us supposed : probably native in 

 China. To this species belong such trade names as 

 H. purpurens, M. specidsus rkbcr, H. ranancuJirflorus , 

 H. tbhis dlbus, H. Leopoldii^ M. pa'onifldrii.'^, II. c<i:le.^- 

 iis, n. iHoldceas , IT. anemonfefldrus, IT. afrurubens, 

 II. btcolor, H. CO ynellce fibrils, H. eleganilssimus, etc. 



14. Ham&.bo, Sieb. &Zucc. A Japanese species offered 

 by importers but not yet tested in this country, and 

 probably not hardy south of the southern-middle states : 

 6-10 ft. high, closely pubescent: Ivs. roundish, with nn 

 abrupt short point, irregularly shallowly toothed, white 



1056. Capsule 

 of Hibiscus Syriacus. 



1057. Hibiscus Syriacus (XK)- 



tomentose: involucre of scales united at the base: fls. 

 solitary in the upper axils, large, yellow, with a darker 

 base. 



AAAA. ShrifJ'S of glassliouses, or permanenflij planted 

 out in the far South. 

 B. Lrs. hoary beneath. 

 15. elktus.Sv^avtz (Pa n'f turn eld. funi,(}. Don). Moun- 

 tain Mahoe. a West Indian tree, now introduced in 

 S. Calif.: Ivs. round-cordate, short-cuspidate, entire; 



