Malvaviscus arboreus var. arboreus

Malvaviscus arboreus is a species of flowering plant in the hibiscus family, Malvaceae, that is native to the American South, Mexico, Central America, and South America. The specific name, arboreus, refers to the tree-like appearance of a mature plant. It is now popular in cultivation and goes by many English names including wax mallow, Turk's cap (mallow), Turk's turban, sleeping hibiscus, manzanilla, manzanita (de pollo), ladies teardrop and Scotchman's purse; many of these common names refer to other, in some cases unrelated, plants. Its flowers do not open fully and help attract butterflies and hummingbirds.

Description

It varies in appearance. A small shrub. It can be 1-7 m tall. Young growth is softly hairy. The leaf blades are oval and 5-20 cm long. They can have 3 lobes at the end. They can be heart shaped at the base.

Edible Uses

The fruit is edible.

Distribution

A tropical plant.

Where It Grows

Africa, Central America, Colombia, East Africa, Guatemala, Haiti, Hawaii, Honduras, Mexico, Mozambique, North America, Pacific, South America, USA, West Indies,

Notes

There are 6 Malvaviscus species. They occur in tropical America.

Synonyms

References (5)

• Altschul, S.V.R., 1973, Drugs and Foods from Little-known Plants. Notes in Harvard University Herbaria. Harvard Univ. Press. Massachusetts. no. 2755
• Kermath, B. M., et al, 2014, Food Plants in the Americas: A survey of the domesticated, cultivated and wild plants used for Human food in North, Central and South America and the Caribbean. On line draft. p 514
• Linnaea 11:359. 1837 "mexicana"
• Plants of Haiti Smithsonian Institute http://botany.si.edu/antilles/West Indies
• Staples, G.W. and Herbst, D.R., 2005, A tropical Garden Flora. Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu, Hawaii. p 391

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