Hibiscus diversifolius Jacq., Malvaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Common name(s): [more details]

English: cape hibiscus, swamp hibiscus

Fijian: kalakala visoni, kalakalauaisoni, kalauaisoni, lewa ni nasanggalau, lewa ni sanggalu

Japanese: divaashiforia

Niuean: fou hele, fou igo

Habit:  herb

Description:  "Mostly vinelike with slender branches, often climbing to 5 m or more; twigs and leaves densely (or leaves rarely sparsely) brown-tomentose with stiff, spreading, simple to few-rayed hairs; stipules lance-triangular, attenuate, 3-6 mm long, ciliolate, caducous, hirsute on outer surface, subglabrate within; petioles somewhat stoutish, 5-25 mm long, tomentose or hirtellous; leaf blades ovate to broadly elliptic, obtuse, rounded or truncate at base, short-acuminate apically, 5-12 cm long, 2-6 cm wide, dark green and sparsely to moderately pubescent above, brownish and more densely tomentose beneath, margins shallowly and coarsely crenate-serrate, tip of each tooth cartilaginous; veins 4-7 on each side, arcuately curved upward, prominulous; inflorescences terminal on branchlets and axillary to upper leaves, simple or paniculately branched, the branches slender, 6-15 cm long, mostly deciduous; calyx lobes triangular, about 1 mm long and wide, tomentose without, glabrous within; petals 1-1.4 mm long, cucullate, each partially enfolding a stamen; stamens inserted near margin of calyx tube, filaments dilated basally; disk 5-lobed, conspicuous, almost equaling calyx tube, its margin often 2- or 3-toothed at tip of each lobe; fruits about 5-8 mm long, 6-12 mm broad, each coccus bearing a thin wing 1-1.5 mm wide along its outer angle, outer surface inconspicuously reticulate-veined and sparsely puberulent to glabrate on the rounded back, pale brown; seeds obovoid-compressed, about 4 mm long, 3 mm wide, brown and shining, slightly rounded abaxially, low-carinate adaxially"  (Wiggins & Porter, 1971; p. 678).

Habitat/ecology:  In Fiji, "abundantly naturalized as a weed along roadsides and in open fields, ricefields, and thickets, at elevations from near sea level to about 200 m" (Smith, 1981; p. 419). "Uncommon in disturbed places" (Whistler, 1988; p. 29).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  Tropical Africa, Madagascar and Mauritius; naturalized elsewhere (GRIN). "Old World tropics, including Malesia, Australia, and Pacific islands. I doubt its indigenousness much to the east of New Guinea, although it is found eastward to Fiji and Niue and also in Hawaii. Probably it was an aboriginal introduction into Fiji, but whether inadvertently or for use as a fiber plant is questionable." (Smith, 1981; p. 419).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia (Pacific offshore islands) Lord Howe Island	Lord Howe Island	possibly native	Orchard, Anthony E., ed. (1994) (p. 20) "Possibly indigenous. It is now said to be extinct on Lord Howe Is. (A.N.Rodd & J.Pickard, Cunninghamia 1: 279, 1983)". Voucher cited: J.L. Boorman (NSW)
Australia (Pacific offshore islands) Norfolk Islands	Norfolk Island	possibly native abo. intro.	Orchard, Anthony E., ed. (1994) (p. 9) "Possibly indigenous...or an early introduction". Vouchers cited: 1969, O. Evans (K); G. Uhe 1186 (K); R.M. Laing (CHR); 1902, J.H. Maiden & J.L. Boorman (NSW); 1804, F.L. Bauer (K, W)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Isabela Group	Isabela Island	native cultivated	Charles Darwin Research Station (2005)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Isabela Group	Volcán Cerro Azul, Isabela Island	native cultivated	Charles Darwin Research Station (2005)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Isabela Group	Volcán Sierra Negra, Isabela Island	native cultivated	Charles Darwin Research Station (2005)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) San Cristóbal Group	San Cristóbal Island	native cultivated	Charles Darwin Research Station (2005)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Santa Cruz Group	Santa Cruz Island	native cultivated	Charles Darwin Research Station (2005)
Fiji Fiji Islands	Lakemba Island	introduced invasive abo. intro.	Smith, Albert C. (1981) (p. 419) Vouchers cited: Tothill 27, DA 2525, Garnock-Jones 920
Fiji Fiji Islands	Vanua Levu Island	introduced invasive abo. intro.	Smith, Albert C. (1981) (p. 419) Vouchers cited: U.S. Expl. Exped., Smith 6748, DA 10503, DA 16833
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island	introduced invasive abo. intro.	Smith, Albert C. (1981) (p. 419) Vouchers cited: Greenwood 158, Degener 15001, DA 2879, DA 14340, DA 2604, DA 10958, DA 7755, DA 10849, DA 12489, DA 14341, DA 2712
New Caledonia Hunter Island	Île Hunter	introduced	MacKee, H. S. (1994) (p. 97) Voucher cited: Monzier in Veillon 6925 (NOU)
New Caledonia Îles Loyauté (Loyalte Islands)	Île Maré	introduced	MacKee, H. S. (1994) (p. 97) Voucher cited: Däniker 2562
New Caledonia New Caledonia Archipelago	Île Grande Terre	introduced	MacKee, H. S. (1994) (p. 97) Vouchers cited: Balansa 1362, Le Rat 50, MacKee 15176
New Caledonia New Caledonia Archipelago	Île des Pins (Isle of Pines)	introduced	MacKee, H. S. (1994) (p. 97) Vouchers cited: Cribs 1159, Le Rat 734
Niue Niue	Niue Island	introduced abo. intro.	Smith, Albert C. (1981) (p. 419)
Niue Niue	Niue Island	introduced invasive	Sykes, W. R. (1970) (pp. 112-113) Hibiscus cannabinus sensu Sykes per Smith (1981). Vouchers cited: CHR 170318, CHR 170329
Niue Niue	Niue Island	introduced invasive	Whistler, W. A. (1988) (p. 29)
Niue Niue	Niue Island	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Flynn, Tim (2000) Voucher: Flynn 6683a (PTBG, US, NIUE)
Niue Niue	Niue Island	introduced invasive	Whistler, W. A./Atherton, J. (1997) (p. 37) Voucher cited: Whistler 10758
Niue Niue	Niue Island	introduced invasive	Yuncker, T. G. (1943) (p. 82) As Hibiscus cannabinus L. Voucher cited: Yuncker 9879 (BISH). See Smith (1981). "Weed in clearings and waste areas".
Niue Niue	Niue Island	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Waterhouse, Barbara M./Newfield, Melanie/Bull, Cate (2004) (p. 43)
Niue Niue	Niue Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (2000) (voucher ID: PTBG 30158) Taxon name on voucher: Hibiscus diversifolius Jacq.
Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island)	Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island)	native	Smith, Albert C. (1981) (p. 419)
Tonga Tongatapu Group	Tongatapu Island	introduced	Whistler, W. A. (1988) (p. 29) Voucher cited: Setchell and Parks 15257

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)	New South Wales	native	National Herbarium of New South Wales (2013)
Australia Australia (continental)	Queensland	native	National Herbarium of New South Wales (2013)
New Zealand New Zealand	New Zealand (country)	probably native	Webb, C. J./Sykes, W. R./Garnock-Jones, P. J. (1988) (p. 826) "Usually in wet situations".

Indian Ocean
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Mauritius Mautitius Islands (Mauritius and Rodrigues)	Mauritius Island	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)

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