hibiscus

Any of a group of plants belonging to the mallow family. Hibiscuses range from large herbaceous plants to trees. Popular as ornamental plants because of their brilliantly coloured, red to white, bell-shaped flowers, they include H. syriacus and H. rosa-sinensis of Asia and the rose mallow (H. palustris) of North America. (Genus Hibiscus, family Malvaceae.)

Some tropical species provide fruit and timber: H. tiliaceus supplies timber and fibrous bark to South Pacific islanders and H. sabdariffa is cultivated in the West Indies and elsewhere for its fruit.