A complete list of alternative names for the Chinese lantern hibiscus - how many do you know?
Alternative names for the Chinese lantern hibiscus
The Chinese lantern hibiscus is also called split-petal hibiscus, coral hibiscus, windbell hibiscus, lantern flower, Chinese lantern flower, and false Tibetan safflower.
The origin of the Chinese lantern hibiscus
The Chinese lantern hibiscus is native to tropical East Africa and is a common ornamental garden plant in tropical countries. It is also cultivated in Taiwan, China, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi and Yunnan.
Morphological characteristics of the Chinese lantern hibiscus
The Chinese lantern hibiscus is an evergreen erect shrub about 3 m tall. Its branches are rather slender and often drooping, with a relatively smooth surface and no downy hairs.
The leaves of the Chinese lantern hibiscus are oval or oblong, about 4-7 cm long and 1.5-4 cm wide, with a short pointed tip and a blunt or broadly wedge-shaped base. The leaf margins are toothed and incomplete, and both sides of the leaf are hairless.
The petiole of the Chinese lantern hibiscus is 1-2 cm long and covered with downy hairs. The stipules are subulate, about 2 mm long, and usually fall early.
The flowers of the Chinese lantern hibiscus are borne singly in the leaf axils at the tips of the branches. The pedicels are rather slender and drooping, about 8-14 cm long, smooth and hairless. The flower bud has 5 parts, very small, lanceolate, 1-2 mm long. The calyx is tubular, about 1.5 cm long, densely covered with fine hairs, and often splits open on one side.
The flower of the Chinese lantern hibiscus has 5 petals, red, about 5 cm long, deeply and finely divided into a fringed shape, and curved upward. The staminal column is long and rather prominent, drooping, about 10 cm long, hairless. The flowering period is year-round.
The capsule is long cylindrical, about 4 cm long and about 1 cm in diameter.
The main value of the Chinese lantern hibiscus
The Chinese lantern hibiscus is an ornamental flowering shrub. Its flowers are relatively large, the colors are relatively vivid, and the flowering period is long.
In the south, the Chinese lantern hibiscus is often planted beside ponds, in front of courtyards, along roadsides and by walls. It blooms continuously all year round and is very festive.
In the Yangtze River basin and northern regions, the Chinese lantern hibiscus is grown on balconies or in courtyards. Under conditions of sufficient light, the ornamental period is also extended, so it is one of the main potted plants displayed in public places in summer and autumn.