Hibiscus tozerensis Craven & B.E.Pfeil

Malvaceae

Craven, L.A. & Pfeil, B.E. (2004) Adansonia 2692): 238.

Iron Range hibiscus; Hibiscus, Iron Range

Grows into a small tree but also flowers and fruits as a shrub 2-4 m tall.

Both the upper and lower surfaces of the leaf blade, petioles and twigs clothed in stellate hairs, sometimes sparsely. Leaf blades have a rough texture but not abrasive enough to be classed as sandpapery. Stipules linear, filiform, about 0.4-1 cm long, clothed in stellate hairs. Leaf blades about 12.5-17 x 4-5 cm, petioles about 0.4-0.6 cm long. Lateral veins looping inside the blade margin. Twig bark clothed in stellate hairs, strong and fibrous when stripped.

Pedicel about 10-50 mm long. Epicalyx segments fused to form a tube about 6-8 mm long, apex about 3-5-lobed. Calyx campanulate, about 12-15 mm long, outer surface densely clothed in stellate hairs and scales. Petals mainly cream, about 18-22 mm long. Stamens about 20, anthers horseshoe-shaped with the line of dehiscence on the outer periphery. Filaments attached to the middle of each anther.

Capsules subglobose, about 10-15 x 12-14 mm. Calyx and epicalyx persistent at the base of the fruit. Seeds about 15 per fruit, each seed about 5 mm long, clothed in white simple hairs. Cotyledons folded, radicle about 2 mm long.

Cotyledons about 12-13.5 x 15-18.5 mm, petioles about 4-6 mm long. First pair of true leaves about 30-32 x 11-13 mm, petioles about 2-4 mm long, stellate hairs usually visible on one or both leaf surfaces. Margin often obscurely toothed. Stipules 2-3 mm long, difficult to discern among the stellate hairs. At the tenth leaf stage: leaf blade obovate, apex apiculate, base cordate, both the upper and lower surfaces of the leaf blade clothed in short stellate hairs. Stipules linear, about 5-6 mm long, clothed in stellate hairs. Twigs clothed in stellate hairs. Seed germination time 47 days.

Endemic to CYP. Altitudinal range from near sea level to 400 m. Grows in or on the margins of rain forest, monsoon forest and vine thickets.

Macrostelia grandifolia Fryxell subsp. grandifolia, Australian Journal of Botany 22(1): 191(1974). Macrostelia grandifolia Fryxell, Australian Journal of Botany 22(1): 189(1974), Type: Queensland, Tozer Range, 28 June 1948, L. J. Brass 19353; holo BRI; iso: A.