Kauaʻi Conservation Atlas

Kauaʻi record · kba_plant_hibiscus_ovalifolius

Rock's Hibiscus

Hibiscus ovalifolius

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Rock's Hibiscus (Hibiscus ovalifolius)
Rock's Hibiscus (Hibiscus ovalifolius) · Kauaʻi Conservation Atlas · AI-generated reconstruction · Kauaʻi Conservation Atlas community media · Primary ecological plate v1.5.3; visual and safe-area review passed · Image source

About Rock's Hibiscus

A perennial shrub with hairy young stems and rounded, sometimes shallowly lobed, toothed leaves. Solitary flowers have sulfur-yellow flaring petals with maroon bases, a short enclosed staminal column and five large involucral bracts abruptly narrowed into long tips. Hairy ellipsoid capsules contain small hairy seeds. Established wild occurrence warrants observations of occupied cover, reproductive plants and new recruits. These measurements can test persistence and spread. The reviewed accounts do not quantify an island-wide effect on Kauaʻi native vegetation.

Kauaʻi evidence

Generated media is not occurrence evidence. Proposed monitoring endpoints are not reported observations, measured effects or causal findings.

Names and classification

Scientific name
Hibiscus ovalifolius
Common names
Rock's hibiscus
Other names
Hibiscus ovalifolius · Rock's hibiscus
Record type
Species

Kauaʻi occurrence and status

Kauaʻi occurrence
Recorded on Kauaʻi
Origin
Introduced
Conservation status
Not yet assessed
Evidence date
2026-10-07
Evidence limits
Island-level public occurrence only. The regional Smithsonian description is explicitly carried from Hibiscus calyphyllus; use the frozen regional identity with that historical taxon concept noted.

Habitat and ecology

Habitats
Not yet assessed
Food and resource needs
Not yet assessed
Reproduction
Not yet assessed
Shelter
Not yet assessed
Growth form
Shrub or subshrub; Perennial herbs or shrubs 1-3 m tall; young stems green, stellate tomentose, later glabrate.

Threats and conservation

Monitoring
Occupied area and vegetation cover; Mature plants and new recruits; Reproductive plants and fruiting frequency. Proposed monitoring endpoints are not reported observations, measured effects or causal findings.
Data gaps
Current island extent and population trend · Measured local ecological effects

Process and seasonal context

Seasonal timing
Not yet assessed
Seasonal description
A perennial shrub with hairy young stems and rounded, sometimes shallowly lobed, toothed leaves. Solitary flowers have sulfur-yellow flaring petals with maroon bases, a short enclosed staminal column and five large involucral bracts abruptly narrowed into long tips. Hairy ellipsoid capsules contain small hairy seeds. Established wild occurrence warrants observations of occupied cover, reproductive plants and new recruits. These measurements can test persistence and spread. The reviewed accounts do not quantify an island-wide effect on Kauaʻi native vegetation.

Sources and further reading

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