Hibiscus coddii
Introduction
An upright shrubby perennial with attractive, bright red flowers in autumn; it is a decorative garden ornamental or container plant in full sun or partial shade.
Description
Description
Hibiscus coddii is a small herbaceous shrub, 0.6 to 1.5 m tall, with a rounded stem. Leaves are alternate, oval, roughly hairy, with a coarsely toothed margin and a cordate base. Flowers are bright red, 20–30 mm in diameter, in the axils, solitary or in raceme-like branches. The epicalyx lobes (ring of bracts below the calyx) are 2–5 × 0.6–1 mm, and the staminal tube is 6–9 mm long, with style branches 1.5 to 3.5 mm long. The plant flowers in late summer and autumn, between February and May. The seeds are in a green capsule that turns light brown when matured. The seeds are covered with silky white floss.
Hibiscus coddii is divided into 2 subspecies: subsp. coddii and subsp. barnardii, which typically has larger flowers, with longer petals, a longer staminal tube, and longer and narrower epicalyx lobes, than the typical subsp. coddii.
Hibiscus coddii can be confused with H. aponeurus from eastern tropical Africa, but they can be differentiated by H. aponeurus having ovate leaves with a rounded, obtuse base, a finely dentate margin, and larger fruits containing more seeds.
Conservation Status
Status
According to the Red List of South African plants, the conservation status of both subspecies of Hibiscus coddii are assessed as Least Concern (LC), which means this species is not threatened in the wild.
Distribution and habitat
Distribution description
Hibiscus coddii is not endemic to South Africa; it is widely spread in South Africa and in the neighbouring country of Zimbabwe. In South Africa it grows in Limpopo and in Mpumalanga where it occurs mostly on rocky slopes, in rocky woodland among other shrubs.
Subsp. barnardii occurs in the southern part of the distribution range, mainly in the Leolo Mountains in Sekhukhuneland, at 760 to 1 200 m elevation, in dry bushveld on clayey soils, sometimes rich in heavy metals. Subsp coddii occurs in low-lying regions north of the Soutpansberg and east of the northeastern Drakensberg Escarpment at 300 to 800 m altitude in dry, open savanna, in poor sandy soils. There are intermediate forms.
Derivation of name and historical aspects
History
The name Hibiscus is derived from the Greek name for the marsh mallow ibiskos, which was given by the ancient Greek physician Dioscorides. This species was named after Dr L.E.W. Codd, botanist and director of the Botanical Research Institute in Pretoria from 1963 to 1973. The subspecies barnardii, was originally described as H. barnardii Exell., but in 2005 Leistner & Winter judged the differences between it and H. coddii to be not marked or consistent enough to warrant specific status, but kept it as a subspecies because of its fairly clear geographical separation. This subspecies is named after W.G. Barnard, a veterinarian who collected plants in Sekhukhuneland, including the type specimen for this subspecies, and collected notes on local lore and uses of plants.
Worldwide the genus Hibiscus consists of several hundred species that occur in the warm temperate, subtropical and tropical regions. The most well-known species is Hibiscus rosa-sinensis, originally from tropical Asia, which has many hybrids and cultivars that are very popular in South African gardens. In South Africa there are currently 48 indigenous accepted taxa, which include annual, perennial and aromatic herbs, shrubs and trees.
Ecology
Ecology
The pollen and nectar in the flowers of Hibiscus coddii attract insects such as bees and butterflies, and birds such as sunbirds. It is not known which of them pollinates the flowers.
The leaves are eaten by livestock.
Hibiscus coddii seeds are interesting because they are covered with silky white floss that enables the seeds to fly on even a slight wind, and is an adaptation for wind dispersal. The ripe seed capsules open during dry weather.
Uses
Use
Hibiscus coddii shows great potential as a garden ornamental and is a suitable container plant, in full sun or partial shade.
No medical or other uses of H. coddii subsp. coddii have been recorded. W.G. Barnard, who collected the type specimen of H. coddii subsp. barnardii in Sekhukuneland in 1934, noted that the plants were called bokgobakataba and were used for medicinal purposes, but gave no further information on how or for what they were used.
Growing Hibiscus coddii
Grow
Hibiscus coddii is best propagated by seeds, or by stem and tip cuttings. Sow the seeds in spring, use a mixture of 40% compost and 60% washed river sand. More sand is mixed to allow the water to drain well when watering because soil that is too wet, can cause the seeds to rot. Seeds take 4 to 6 weeks to germinate.
Propagation by cuttings is done by planting the stem or tip cuttings in spring in washed river sand.
Hibiscus coddii performs best when grown in well-drained soil in full sun or semi-shade, with water in spring and summer and a dry winter. It is well suited to a sunny rockery and is also suitable for containers.
References
- Exell, A. & Wild, H. 1961. Malvaceae. Flora zambesiaca: Mozambique, Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, Bechuanaland Protectorate 1: 481, 482. Kew, London.
- Foden, W. & Potter, L. 2005. Hibiscus coddii Exell subsp. barnardii (Exell) Leistner & P.J.D.Winter. National Assessment: Red List of South African plants version 2020.1. Accessed on 2020/08/19.
- Foden, W. & Potter, L. 2005. Hibiscus coddii Exell subsp. coddii. National Assessment: Red List of South African plants version 2020.1. Accessed on 2020/08/19.
- Leistner, O.A., Winter, P.J.D. & Condy, G. 2005. Hibiscus coddii subsp. barnardii. Flowering Plants of Africa 59: 94–99.
- Manning, J. 2009. Field guide to wild flowers of South Africa. Struik Nature, Cape Town.
- Mucina, L. & Rutherford, M.C. (eds) 2006. The vegetation of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland. Strelitzia 19. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria.
- Plants of southern Africa online, Hibiscus search, 31 August 2020. http://posa.sanbi.org/sanbi/Explore.
- WIKIPEDIA, Hibiscus. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hibiscus. Accessed 31 Aug 20.
Credits
Fergy Nkadimeng
Millennium Seed Bank Partnership, Pretoria
and Alice Notten
Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden
September 2020
Acknowledgements: the authors thank Rob Palmer for providing photos of Hibiscus coddii subsp. barnardii in flower.
Plant Attributes:
Plant Type: Shrub
SA Distribution: Limpopo, Mpumalanga
Soil type: Sandy, Loam
Flowering season: Late Summer, Autumn
PH:
Flower colour: Red
Aspect: Full Sun, Morning Sun (Semi Shade), Afternoon Sun (Semi Shade)
Gardening skill: Easy
Special Features:
Attracts birds
Attracts butterflies
Good potplant
Feeds honeybees
Horticultural zones
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