Kingdom Plantae Family Malvaceae Rank Species | Order Malvales Genus Hibiscus | |
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Similar Hibiscus waimeae, Hibiscus calyphyllus, Hibiscus scottii, Yellow hibiscus, Hibiscus kokio | ||
Hibiscus clayi, common names red Kauai rosemallow or Kokiʻo ʻula (Hawaiian name), is a perennial angiosperm of the mallow family Malvaceae.
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Etymology
The generic name is derived from the Greek word ἱβίσκος (hibískos), which was the name Pedanius Dioscorides (ca. 40–90) gave to Althaea officinalis. The species name clayi honors Horace F. Clay, a horticulturalist of Hawaii.
Description
Hibiscus clayi is a shrub of 40–90 centimetres (16–35 in) or a tree reaching a height of 4–8 metres (13–26 ft). Leaves are medium green, shiny, smooth-edged or slightly toothed on the tip. Single flowers are borne at the ends of the branches. They are showy, bright or dark red and they bloom all year around. They are generally similar to Hibiscus kokio. This plant is listed as endangered by USFWS.
Distribution
This plant is endemic to Hawaii. It can be found in nature only in the dry forest of Nounou Mountains in the eastern Kauaʻi, at an elevation of 50–600 metres (160–1,970 ft) above sea level.
