Monday, March 30, 2009

Talipariti hamabo

Talipariti hamabo | Yellow Hibiscus, 海滨木槿 (Hai Bin Mu Jin), ハマボウ (Hama-bou)

Talipariti hamabo is also known as Hibiscus hamabo, and is closely related to Talipariti glabrum (Hibiscus glaber) and Talipariti tiliaceum (Hibiscus tiliaceus). The common Chinese name is 海滨木槿 (hai bin mu jin). The common name in Japanese, ハマボウ (hama-bou) may possibly be derived from Hama-hau which means 'beach prostrating'. Hibiscus hamabo grows in salt marsh habitats in southwestern Japan; Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu, Okinawa, Bonin and Ryukyu Islands. It can also be found in Korea and China on coastal beaches. This is a branching decidious shrub up to 4.5m tall (15 ft). Single yellow flowers with a crimson spot at the base appear throughout summer. Taliparit1 hamabo was first described in Japanese horticultural books (Ito -1695) and later described and illustrated in the 'Honzo-sho' herbal. This species is not to be confused with the similarly named Hibiscus syriacus 'Hamabo'. From a photograpic perspective, the flowers often have the annoying habit of facing downward, making it necessary to photograph from below. Hence, the blue sky is seen in my photo. :-)



Historical Reference: Hibiscus hamabo, a deciduous plant of the order Malvaceae growing wild along the sea coasts in warm provinces. Its stem attains to a height of about 10 ft. Early in summer, it blooms at the top of the branches and in the axils of the leaves. The flowers are like those of cotton, with yellow petals, purple at the base. A strong fibre is got from the bark, and is used as a rope.

   Useful Plants of Japan: Described and Illustrated
   By Dai Nihon Nōkai
   Published by Agricultural Society of Japan, 1895