Hibiscus cannabinus L., Malvaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  Evaluate; score: 3 (Hawaii-Pacific Weed Risk Assessment for Hibiscus cannabinus)

Other Latin names:  Hibiscus henriquesii P. Lima; Hibiscus sabdariffa sensu Mendonça & Torre, tom. cit.: 11 (1950); Hibiscus sp.‐Garcia, torn. cit.: 41 (1946) quoad specim. coll. Dr. Braga.

Common name(s): [more details]

English: Deccan-hemp, Indian-hemp, Java-jute, bastard-jute, bimli-jute, kenaf, kenaf hibiscus

Habit:  herb

Description:  "Woody to herbaceous annual, mostly unbranched, fast-growing, with prickly stems, up to 4.2 m tall; leaves alternate, long-petiolate, shallowly to deeply parted, with 3–7 toothed lobes; flowers solitary, large to 10 cm in diameter, short-stalked, axillary, yellow with purple centers; sepals 5, petals 5; stamens numerous, connate; ovary superior; fruit a many-seeded, hairy capsule about 1 cm long; seeds brown, glabrous, wedge-shaped, 5 mm long, 3 mm wide, weight 25g/1000. Root a deep-penetrating taproot with deep-seated laterals (Reed, 1976)." (Newcrop: Purdue University)

"Annual herb up to c. 2 m. tall; stems aculeate with small rather sparse prickles usually pointing upwards, otherwise nearly glabrous or with a longitudinal line of crisped pubescence changing its radial position at each node. Leaf-lamina up to c. 15 × 15 cm., usually suborbicular in outline, scaberulous or almost glabrous with a few minute prickles on the nerves, 3–7-palmatisect to palmate-lobed, often somewhat pedate (usually nearly entire in seedlings and sometimes near the apex of the stems), apex acute, margin serrate or dentate, rarely subentire, base broadly cuneate to shallowly cordate, usually with a prominent gland on the under surface near the base of the midrib, lobes elliptic to entire; petiole up to 22 cm. long, hairy like the stems; stipules 4·5 mm. long, narrowly linear to filiform, very caducous (rarely seen on dried specimens). Flowers up to 10 cm. in diam., usually pale yellow, whitish or greyish, with purple centre, solitary, axillary or in racemes by the reduction of the upper leaves; peduncle 2–6 mm. long, aculeate or setose. Epicalyx of 7–8 bracts, bracts up to 18 mm. long, linear, joined for about 2 mm. at the base. Calyx up to 20·5 cm. long, 10-nerved, setose; lobes long, acuminate (sometimes subcaudate), joined for up to 5 mm. at the base, aculeate or setose outside especially near the margin, margin sometimes with a woolly tomentum, usually with a prominent gland 1·5–2 mm. in diam. on the midrib. Petals up to 6 × 4·5 cm., obovate, pubescent outside, glabrous within. Staminal tube up to 23 mm. long; free parts of filaments 1–2 mm. long. Style-branches 2–3·5 mm. long. Capsule up to 20 × 15 mm., ovoid-acuminate, appressed-setose. Seeds 3–3·5 × 1·5–2·5 mm., irregularly subreniform, minutely faveolate." (Flora Zambesiaca)

Habitat/ecology:  "Usually found as a weed of arable and waste land." (Flora Zambesiaca)

Propagation:  (no propagation information known by PIER)

Native range:  "Probably native to Africa, East Indies, Asia, or Australia" (Newcrop: Purdue University)

The native range of Hibiscus cannabinus L. includes Africa (Kenya; Tanzania; Uganda; Chad; Ethiopia; Somalia; Sudan; Angola; Malawi; Mozambique; Zambia; Zimbabwe; Botswana; Namibia; South Africa; Swaziland; Ghana; Mali; Nigeria; Senegal; Burundi; Cameroon; Central African Republic; Rwanda; Zaire). It may also be native to India. (GRIN)

Impacts and invaded habitats:  Hibiscus cannabinus L. is widely cultivated and naturalized in the tropics. (GRIN)

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
American Samoa Manu‘a Islands	Ofu Island		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
Federated States of Micronesia Chuuk Islands	Chuuk Islands		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
Federated States of Micronesia Chuuk Islands	Weno (Moen) Island		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
Fiji Fiji Islands	Rotuma Island		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
Kiribati Kiribati	Kiribati (Republic of)		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
New Caledonia Îles Loyauté (Loyalte Islands)	Îles Loyauté (Loyalty Islands)		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island)	Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island)		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
Samoa Samoa	Opolu		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
Samoa Western Samoa Islands	Savai‘i Island		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
Tonga Ha‘apai Group	Tofua Island		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
Tonga Tonga Islands	Tonga Islands		Whistler, W. A. (1988) (p. 29) Voucher cited: Buelow 415; "...rare in disturbed places in Tonga, collected only once."
Tonga Tonga Islands	Tonga Islands		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
Vanuatu New Hebrides Islands	Pentecôte (Pentacost) Island		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia Australia (continental)	Northern Territory		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)

Also reported from
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Africa Africa	Ghana		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)

Comments:  Hibiscus cannabinus L. is widely cultivated and naturalized in the tropics. (GRIN)

Control:  If you know of control methods for Hibiscus cannabinus, please let us know.