Australian Malvaviscus & identification.
Two of the ten species are found in Australia where they are naturalised:
Malvaviscus arboreus and Malvaviscus penduliflorus.
Malvaviscus arboreus has 2 accepted varieties:
M. arboreus var. arboreus and
M. arboreus var. drummondii.
Synonyms involving these species include:
M. arboreus var. cubensis and var. mexicanus are old synonyms for M. arboreus var. arboreus.
The old names are still seen in N.S.W.
M. drummondii is a synonym for M. arboreus var. drummondii.
M. arboreus var. penduliflorus is a synonym for M. penduliflorus.
Other, incorrectly used synonyms are occasionally seen.
Different species often have the same common name.
Identification.
It is easy to place a specimen in the Malvaviscus genus with their petals having a basal lobe (auricle), 10 styles and stigmas and fruit being a schizocarp.
The very similar Hibiscus genus has flowers with 5 styles and stigmas.
It is often very hard (or impossible) to confidently determine the species as there are no distinctive features that can differentiate them.
In their native range plants at the ends of an area may be distinctly different but those in between (the majority) have varying combinations of the features of both.
There may also be some hybridisation.
Species, and perticularly varieties have similar features that differ only in degree.
Descriptions are often qualified by adjectives such as ‘usually’, ‘often’, ‘longer’, ‘ shorter’, ‘larger’, ‘smaller’, ‘softer’ or ‘stiffer’ etc.
Because it is such a variable genus it is easy to see how some still think it is only 1 to 3 variable species.
It is not easy to find plants that fit exactly to a particular description.
Many (?most) have features that overlap those of other species.
If unsure, find out what plants are available in the region and assess which of their features are most common in that particular plant.
If all else fails do what many do and just label it ‘Malvaviscus’.
Available in Australia are M. arboreus, M. arboreus var. arboreus and var. drummondii and M. penduliflorus.
Descriptions for the little grown M. arboreus and the more common var. arboreus are almost identical.
J.F.
