Malvaceae FAMILY

Hibiscus diversifolius

Edibility

3/5

Medicinal

2/5

Safety & Hazards

Some caution should be observed by pregnant women when eating this plant because there is a report that the leaf juice might be used to procure abortion[ 601 Title The Useful Native Plants of Australia. Publication Author Maiden J.H. Website http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org Publisher Turner & Co.; London. Year 1889 ISBN Description Terse details of the uses of many Australian plants and other species naturalised, or at least growing, in Australia. It can be downloaded from the Internet. ].

Botanical Description

Hibiscus diversifolius is a spiny, perennial plant, usually forming woody stems, often growing as a shrub and occasionally becoming more tree-like. It usually grows up to 3 metres tall, but can occasionally reach 10 metres in tropical regions[ 398 Title Edible Wild Plants of Tanzania Publication Author Ruffo, C.K.: Birnie, A. & Tengnas, B. Publisher Regional Land Management Unit; Nairobi. Year 2002 ISBN 9966-896-60-0 Description A very well presented, simple guide to growing and utilizing wild food plants in Tanzania, with line drawings of each plant, a description, habitat and range, non-food as well as food uses, plus basic information on growing the plants. ]. The plant is harvested from the wild for its edible leaves, flowers and roots, which are used locally. It is sometimes cultivated as a food crop and is also grown as an ornamental plant in temperate (where it is grown as an annual) to tropical areas[ 200 Title The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. Publication Author Huxley. A. Publisher MacMillan Press Year 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5 Description Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed. ].

Habitat & Origin

Origintemperate; tropical

Native RangeOriginally from tropical Africa, the plant has been spread by human activity and is now widespread throughout the tropics.

HabitatRiverine areas and swamps in open vegetation, at elevations up to 1,800 metres[ 398 Title Edible Wild Plants of Tanzania Publication Author Ruffo, C.K.: Birnie, A. & Tengnas, B. Publisher Regional Land Management Unit; Nairobi. Year 2002 ISBN 9966-896-60-0 Description A very well presented, simple guide to growing and utilizing wild food plants in Tanzania, with line drawings of each plant, a description, habitat and range, non-food as well as food uses, plus basic information on growing the plants. ]. Mainly by the coast, especially near rainforests, occasionally on disturbed ground in eastern Australia, where it sometimes appears semi-aquatic[ 365 Title Flora of New South Wales Publication Author Website http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/floraonline.htm Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An on-line resource giving a brief botanical description of all the native plants of New South Wales, their habitat and range, together with diagrams and photographs of the plants. ].[ 152 Title Australian Medicinal Plants. Publication Author Lassak. E. V. and McCarthy. T. Publisher New Holland Publishers Year 2001 ISBN 1876334703 Description A very good and readable guide to the subject. ].