Hibiscus mechowii

Family: Malvaceae

What it is like

A shrubby plant. It grows 2 m high. The young stems have sparse prickles. The leaf blade is 15 cm long and wide. It is almost round. It is wedge shaped at the base. It has lobes 12 cm long and 2 cm wide. There are teeth along the edge. The flowers are 5-6 cm across. They are yellow with red centres. They occur singly in the axils of leaves. The fruit is a capsule 35 mm long by 25 mm wide. The seeds are 3.5 mm long by 2 mm wide. They are kidney shaped.

There are about 220 Hibiscus species.

Where it is found

A tropical plant.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Angola, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Central Africa, Congo DR, East Africa, Guinea-Bissau, Sudan, Tanzania, West Africa, Zambia

How it is used for food

In some places it is cultivated for the edible leaves.

Edible parts

Vegetable, leaves, flowers

How it is grown

Plants can be grown from seeds.

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Hibiscus lancibracteatus;