Hibiscus geranioides A.Cunn. ex Benth.

Bentham, G. (1863) Flora Australiensis 1: 215. Type: N. Australia. Islands of the Gulf of Carpentaria, R. Brown; Vansittarts Bay, N.W. coast, A. Cunningham.

Hibiscus, Dwarf Native; Dwarf Native Hibiscus

Flowers and fruits as a shrub about 2 m tall.

Leaf blades about 3-6 x 2-6 cm, usually 3-lobed. Stellate or 3-armed hairs present on both the upper and lower surfaces of the leaf blade. Twigs and petioles clothed in stellate hairs. Twig bark strong and fibrous when stripped.

Pedicels about 15 mm long. Epicalyx segments about 7-10, each lobe linear, about 3-7 mm long sparsely clothed in stellate hairs. Calyx about 5 mm long, outer surface clothed in stellate hairs. Petals about 1 cm long. Centre of the corolla red or purple.

Capsules about 7 x 10 mm, outer surface clothed in simple appressed hairs. Seeds completely covered in long, dark brown hairs. (NB. This conflicts with Bentham (1863:215), 'Seeds glabrous'.) Calyx persistent at the base of the fruit.

Features not available.

Occurs in CYP, NEQ and CEQ. Altitudinal range from near sea level to 300 m ? Usually grows in open eucalypt forest but sometimes found on the margins of monsoon forest and vine thickets.