Hibiscus columnaris | Mahot RempartHibiscus columnaris is endemic to Mauritius and Réunion Islands, however, on Mauritius it is considered extinct since the last specimen was seen in the 19th century. On Réunion, there are only a few remaining specimens. This small, often multi-trunked tree grows up to 2m tall, in semi-dry regions of the island. It is a good candidate for a water conserving garden. the flowers are yellow, and leaves are slightly fuzzy giving them a sandpaper-like feel. The leaf shape is similar to that of Hibiscus mutabilis, however, the flowers are quite different.
Reference: Ce petit arbre peut atteindre une dizaine de mètres de hauteur, avec un tronc d'un diamètre de 30 centimètre. Il est souvant très ramifiés à sa base. Son écorce, lisse, reste verte même sur les tronc assez âgés. Les feuilles juvéniles sont parfois palmatilobées devenant tricuspides chez les individus adultes. Leur forme évoque celle de certains Dombeya. Les stipules sont longues, bien visibles à la base du pétiole.Les fleurs apparaissent d'avril à juillet à la base des feuilles et présentent des pétales jaunes qui restent parallèles à la colonne staminique imposante, caractéristique des Hibiscus. La floraison est importante et esthétique mais donne rarement des fruits et des graines. Hibiscus Columnaris est devenu rare et ne se rencontre plus dans les forêts semi-sèches de basse et moyenne altitude.
Translation: This small tree can reach about ten meters high with a trunk diameter of 30cm. It is often much branched at its base. Its bark is smooth and still green even on the older trunk. The young leaves are sometimes palmate becoming tricuspid when mature. Their shape evokes that of some Dombeya. The stipules are long, clearly visible at the base of the stalk. The flowers appear from April to July at the base of leaves and have yellow petals that remain parallel to the imposing stamenal column, characteristic of Hibiscus. The flowers appear from April to July at the base of leaves and have yellow petals that remain parallel to the imposing stamen column, characteristic of Hibiscus. Flowers are prominent and aesthetic but rarely fruit and seed. Hibiscus Columnaris has become rare and is no longer found in the semi-dry forests of the low and medium altitudes.
Reference: I have seen only a few poor specimens of Hibiscus columnaris, but it certainly belongs either to the section Ketmia under which De Candolle already mentioned it, or to section Trionum. Hibiscus lampas, also incorporated in section Columnaris by Hochreutiner, is treated in the present revision under the genus Thespesia on account of its compound stigma.
Malesian Malvaceae revised
By Jan van Borssum Waalkes
Published by J. J. Groen en Zoon, 1966
