Thespesia populnea

Thespesia populnea

The Portiabaum ( Thespesia populnea ) or coastal Tropeneibisch, Pappelblättriger Hibiscus Coast Hibiscus is a plant that belongs to the genus Tropeneibische ( Thespesia ) within the family (Malvaceae ). The specific epithet is derived from the Latin word pōpulneus, pōpulnus, pōpuleus for poplar ago, because of the similar leaves and because of the wood, the sapwood is dark as in the poplar core in bright red.

• 6.1 Notes and references

Description

Vegetative characteristics

Thespesia populnea grows as evergreen, large shrub or small tree with plant height 3-8 meters. The bark of the branches is covered with tiny, brown hair shield.

The most poplar -like leaves are divided into petiole and leaf blade. The petiole is 4 to 10 cm long. The ovate - heart-shaped to dreieickige leaf blade is 7 to 18 cm wide, and 4.5 to 12 cm long. The leaf margin is smooth. The filiform to lanceolate stipules are 2-7 mm long.

Generative features

The flowers appear singly in the leaf axils. The intense scaly flower stalk is 2.5 to 6 cm long. The hermaphrodite, radiärsymmetrische flower is fünfzählig. The three-to four-lobed side cup is 8 to 10 mm long. The intense scaly, cup-shaped cup has a diameter of 1 to 1.5 cm and ends with five about 0.5 mm long calyx teeth. The bell-shaped standing together five yellow petals fall through the red remote spots on at its bottom and are about 5 inches tall. The Columna is about 2.5 cm long.

The initially green, black when ripe, spherical to pear- shaped fruit capsules have a length of 5 cm and a diameter of 2 cm, are leathery and somewhat fleshy. The triangular to egg-shaped seeds are about 1 cm long, 6 mm wide and can have brown hair. The buoyant seeds ripen throughout the year and several months are capable of germination.

Dissemination

The wind-and salt-tolerant plant is native to the coastal regions of Africa and tropical Asia. It is naturalized in the West Indies and Florida, today pantropisch used as shade tree and windbreak, particularly at coastal locations. The distribution is facilitated by the floating fruit.

Use

Almost all plant parts are used. Young leaves and flowers are eaten in India as a vegetable or salad. The seeds are used as a laxative. From the bark bast fibers are produced. The flowers and fruits, a yellow dye is produced.

The wood is valued for its good properties (dense and durable) boat building and the manufacture of high quality furniture.

This tree is the most important tree for the inhabitants of the Pacific Islands ( Melanesia, Micronesia, Polynesia).

System

This type is mentioned first in 1753 by Carl Linnaeus in Species Plantarum, 2, pp. 694 Hibiscus populneus. 1807, the description of the new genus with the type species Thespesia Thespesia populnea by Daniel Carl Solander in José Francisco Corrêa da Serra: Annales du Muséum National d' Histoire Naturelle, 9, pp. 290 Other synonyms for Thespesia populnea (L.) Sol. ex Corrêa are: Bupariti populnea (L.) Roth painter, H. populneoides Roxburgh Malvaviscus populneus (L.) Gaertner, Parita populnea (L.) Scopoli, Thespesia howii SYHu, T. populneoides ( Roxburgh ) Kosteletzky.

Pictures

Flower

Fruit capsules

Thespesia populnea - Museum specimen

Swell

• Ya Tang, Michael G. Gilbert & Laurence J. Dorr: Malvaceae in the Flora of China, Volume, p 295: Thespesia populnea - Online. (Section Description and systematics)
• Sultanul Abedin: Malvaceae in the Flora of Pakistan: Thespesia populnea - Online. (Section Description and systematics)
• Andreas Bärtels: Tropical plants, Ulmer Verlag, Stuttgart 2002, ISBN 3-8001-3937-5, page 91