The Hibiscus Show! For Blooming Friday

After presenting parades of hedges, then Vandas and Cattleyas, i am now presenting a parade of Hibiscus species. We call it gumamela here in the Philippines. It  is  cultivated throughout the country, being sunloving all year round.  We have some native ones, but we have also several hibiscus hybrids developed by our local scientists from the University of the Philippines Los Baños.  Hibiscus hybrids with “stunning” flower colors and appearance, which improved the native cultivars were developed to be competitive in the world market. Just like the Mussaenda species hybridized in the mid 1900s, the hibiscus hybridization started in 1994 and has already produced 35 hybrids. While Mussaendas were named after first ladies and women presidents of the country (except for the Queen Sirikit of Thailand), Hibiscus hybrids are named after prominent women of science.  For example the 35th hybrid was named after the first Filipina who specialized in Biological Chemistry.

The gumamela flower has several uses around the world. In this country it has been used as a poultice to boils, cancerous swellings and mumps,  while the leaves are used as a lotion for fevers and headache. The flower is also used as ingredients in soaps, lotions and as tea and food in other parts of the world.

I chose variations in color and morphology of the flowers for posting here.  These are just the available photos now from my ready files. A lot more are coming. Please stay tuned to this channel.

The above three types have shorter styles, while the next ones have them very long.

The next pink multiple petalled Hibiscus has different reproductive parts from the last red one.

This red cultivar has three distinct reproductive parts fused into one common flower. Can you see them distributed around, the yellow stamens protruding among the red petals. Isn't it wonderful to compare them not only in terms of color, but also in terms of how they show the reproductive parts, and how many flowers actually present in one show!

I again dedicate this post to   Autumn Belle, because she is so generous, diligent with her postings for her readers, and... her country's national flower is the single petalled red hibiscus.

The last complex cultivar is very special, so i will give it to Autumn Belle as a souvenir for her garden.

Moreover, thanks for  Katarina of Roses and Stuff,    the originator of Blooming Friday.