Hibiscus

Hibiscus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Malvales Family: Malvaceae Genus: Hibiscus
Species
about 200, including: H. arnottianus – Koki‘o; H. brackenridgei – Ma‘o hau hele; H. cannabinus – Kenaf H. clayi – Hawaiian hibiscus (red) H. furcellatus – ‘Akiohala; H. kokio – Koki‘o ‘ula; H. militaris - Halberd-leaved rose mallow H. moscheutos - Common rose mallow H. rosa-sinensis – Chinese hibiscus H. tiliaceus – Hau H. syriacus – Rose of Sharon H. waimeae – Koki‘o ke‘oke‘o;
Ref: ITIS 21611

Hibiscus or rosemallow is a large genus (some 200 species) of flowering plants in the Family Malvaceae. Many of these species are grown for their showy flowers. Many species are used as flowering landscape shrubs. In temperate zones, probably the most commonly grown species for this purpose is Hibiscus syriacus known in some areas as "Rose of Sharon" or the "Rose of Althea" (not to be confused with the unrelated Hypericum calycinum, also called the "Rose of Sharon").

Table of contents

1 Economic uses 2 Medicinal uses 3 Miscellaneous

Economic uses

One species of Hibiscus, known as Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus), is extensively used in paper making.

Medicinal uses

Extracts of some hibiscus species are claimed to have health benefits, including prevention of:

• Constipation
• Bladder infections
• Nausea

The studies that yielded these results are debated. An unspecified hibiscus plant is used to make a herbal tea, typically blended with rosehip.

Miscellaneous

Hibiscus syriacus (Mugunghwa or "Rose of Sharon") is the national flower of South Korea, while Hibiscus rosa-sinensis (Bunga Raya or "Chinese hibiscus") is the national flower of Malaysia. The ma‘o hau hele (Hibiscus brackenridgei) is the state flower of Hawai‘i.

The City of Hibiscus is an alias for the city of Chengdu in China.