Hibiscus palmatus

Forssk.

Malvaceae Edible: Vegetable, Leaves 56 iNaturalist observations

iNaturalist· cc-by-nc

iNaturalist· cc-by

iNaturalist· cc-by-nc

Description

A shrub. It has a woody rootstock and keeps growing from year to year. The branches are long, slender and straggling. The stems are rough and have hairs. The leaf blades have 3-5 deep lobes. The leaves are heart shaped at the base. The middle lobe is 1.5 cm wide. The flowers are yellow. They are 4 cm long.

Edible Uses

The leaves are eaten as a vegetable, though the plant is noted as being of average palatability.

Distribution

A tropical plant. It is rare in Swaziland.

Where It Grows

Africa, Arabia, East Africa, Eswatini, India, Kenya, Middle East, Mozambique, South Africa, Southern Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zimbabwe,

Other Information

It is of average palatability.

Notes

There are about 220 Hibiscus species.

Synonyms

Hibiscus aristivalvis GarckeHibiscus intermedius A. Rich.

References (5)

Grivetti, L. E., 1980, Agricultural development: present and potential role of edible wild plants. Part 2: Sub-Saharan Africa, Report to the Department of State Agency for International Development. p 49 (As Hibiscus intermedius)
Jardin, C., 1970, List of Foods Used In Africa, FAO Nutrition Information Document Series No 2.p 81
Mutie, F. M., et al, 2023, Important Medicinal and Food Taxa (Orders and Families) in Kenya, Based on Three Quantitative Approaches. Plants 2023, 12, 1145
Swaziland's Flora Database http://www.sntc.org.sz/flora
Terra, G.J.A., 1973, Tropical Vegetables. Communication 54e Royal Tropical Institute, Amsterdam, p 50 (As Hibiscus intermedius)