Hibiscus or mallow
any of about 250 species of herbs, shrubs, and trees constituting the genus Hibiscus, in the mallow family (Malvaceae), and native to warm temperate and tropical regions. Several are cultivated as ornamentals for their showy flowers.
The tropical Chinese hibiscus, or China rose (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis), which may reach a height of 4.5 m (15 feet), rarely exceeds 2 m in cultivation. It is grown for its large, somewhat bell-shaped reddish blossoms. Cultivated varieties with white, yellow, and orange flowers are available. The East African hibiscus (H. schizopetalus), a drooping shrub, is often grown in hanging baskets indoors.
the mallow family, a large group of flowering plants, in the order Malvales, containing about 95 genera of herbs, shrubs, and trees. Representatives occur in all except the coldest parts of the world but are most numerous in the tropics. Economically, the most important member of the family is cotton (q.v.; Gossypium). Several species of Hibiscus produce fibres that are of lesser importance. The green fruits of okra (q.v.; H. esculentus) are cooked and eaten, and the mucilage secreted in tissues of some species has been used in certain confections and for other purposes.
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