Beach Hibiscus (Hibiscus tiliaceus)
October 4, 2007 — Vasant M. SalianBeach Hibiscus (Hibiscus tiliaceus) is a large shrub or tree of the family Malvaceae. It is a common coastal plant native to Eastern and Northern Australia, Oceania and South-East Asia. Beach hibiscus has a wide environmental tolerance and can withstand saline and infertile soils, drought or conditions of water logging and is found in areas with annual rainfall ranging from 800 to over 2000mm.
The blossoms of the beach hibiscus are bright yellow with a deep red centre upon opening. Over the course of the day, the flowers deepen to orange and finally red before they fall. The branches of the tree often curve over time and the wood has been used for seacraft construction, firewood, wood carving and many other uses. The inner bark of the tree has been used by Hawaiian Polynesians to make rope.
Taxonomy:
Kingdom : Plantae
Division : Magnoliophyta
Class : Magnoliopsida
Order : Malvales
Family : Malvaceae
Genus : Hibiscus
Species : Hibiscus tiliaceus
Pronunciation/Meaning:
- Malvaceae (mal-VAY-see-ay) - The Malva (mallow) family.
- Hibiscus (hi-BIS-kus) - The ancient Greek and Latin name for a mallow-like plant.
- tiliaceum (til-ee-AH-see-um) - Linden-like, referring to the similarity in the leaves, compared to the Linden (Tilia) genus.
Common Names:
- Beach Hibiscus, Sea Hibiscus, Cottontree, Mahoe (English)
- Belapata (Hindi)
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