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Hibiscus trionum L.

Overview
General Information
ID Info
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Aperçu
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Family :

Famille :

Malvaceae

Synonym(s) :

Synonyme(s) :

Common Name(s) :

Nom(s) commun(s) :

Flower-of-an-hour

(English) (FNA 1993+; Darbyshire 2003; Wiersema & León 2016; USDA-ARS 2023)
Ketmie trilobée (French) (FNA 1993+; Darbyshire 2003)
Venice mallow (English) (FNA 1993+; Darbyshire 2003; CABI 2023)
Bladder ketmia (English) (FNA 1993+; CABI 2023; USDA-ARS 2023)
Ye xi gua miao 野西瓜苗 (Chinese) (FOC 1994+; Wiersema & León 2016)
Aurora comun (Spanish) (CABI 2023)

 

Flower-of-an-hour (Hibiscus trionum) seeds

  • Flower-of-an-hour (Hibiscus trionum) seeds

  • Flower-of-an-hour (Hibiscus trionum) seeds

  • Flower-of-an-hour (Hibiscus trionum) seed

  • Hibiscus trionum capsule

  • Hibiscus trionum capsule

  • Hibiscus trionum

  • Hibiscus trionum 

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Overview

Aperçu

Regulation :

Remarques Réglementation:

    Regulation Notes:

    Distribution :

    Répartition :

    H. trionum is primarily found in tropical and subtropical areas, but is expanding into temperate climates (Holm et al. 1997). This species is commonly found in Southern and Eastern Europe, Africa, Asia, and Chile in South America (Holm et al. 1997). It occurs in every state in the United States with the exception of Nevada (FNA 1993+). In Canada, H. trionum can be found across Canada except for the northern Territories and Newfoundland province (Brouillet 2010+).

    Habitat and Crop Association :

    Habitat et Cultures Associées :

    H. trionum can grow in a wide range of heavy and light soils in disturbed habitats including cultivated or fallow fields, gardens, shores, roadsides and other waste areas (Holm et al. 1997; Darbyshire 2003).

    This species has been noted as a serious weed of Hordeum vulgare subsp. vulgare (barley), Triticum aestivum subsp. aestivum (wheat), Gossypium hirsutum (cotton), Zea mays subsp. mays (maize), Arachis hypogaea (peanuts), Allium cepa (onion), Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris (sugarbeet), Sorghum sp. (sorghum), Glycine max (soybeans), Oryza sativa (rice), Helianthus annuus (sunflower) and Nicotiana tabacum (tobacco); it is not generally a weed of perennial crops or pastures (Westra et al. 1990; Holm et al. 1997; Odero et al. 2009). H. trionum may interfere more with low growing crops such as A. cepa and B. vulgaris subsp. vulgaris than a tall crop like Z. mays subsp. mays (Westra et al. 1990).

    Economic Use, cultivation area, and Weed Association :

    Utilisation économique, zone de culture et association de mauvaises herbes :

    The species had also been sold as a cover crop for Colorado fruit orchards in the early 20th century (Westra et al. 1996).

    Duration of Life Cycle :

    Durée du cycle vital:

    Annual

    Dispersal Unit Type :

    Type d’unité de dispersion :

    Seed

    General Information

    RENSEIGNEMENTS GÉNÉRAUX

    Hibiscus trionum plants can produce a large number of seeds that persist in the soil (Westra et al. 1990). Plants were estimated to produce 41 – 120 capsules, with an average of 43 seeds in each (Westra et al. 1996). Seed production was estimated at 3100 per plant, and the largest plants yielded 4300 – 5400 seeds (Westra et al. 1996). Soil sampled from a Zea mays subsp. mays (corn) crop in Colorado contained up to 105 million seeds per hectare, and up to 750 000 seedlings, indicating only 0.5 – 1% of seeds germinate per year (Westra et al. 1990).

    Fresh seeds are physically dormant due to a hard seed coat, requiring scarification (Westra et al. 1990; Chachalis et al. 2008). Germination remained low even under ideal conditions, suggesting primary embryo dormancy (Chachalis et al. 2008). H. trionum seed embryos may undergo an unusual secondary dormancy if conditions become cool during the growing season (Chachalis et al. 2008). This complex of dormancy mechanisms may allow H. trionum to be successful over a wide range of environmental conditions (Chachalis et al. 2008).

    The negative impact of Hibiscus trionum in crops has been well-documented (e.g., Westra et al. 1996), but the plants and seeds also have nutritive properties. Steyn et al. (2001) found that H. trionum leaves had a high calcium content compared to other wild vegetables. Kılıç et al. (2011) found the seeds were high in linoleic acid, an unsaturated fat.

    Studies in Australia suggest that Hibiscus trionum is part of a species complex with differences in breeding systems and morphology (Craven et al. 2011). Craven et al. (2011) proposed three new species native to Australia and New Zealand, H. tridactylites, H. richardsonii and H. verdcourtii, with H. trionum s. str. confined to a historically settled area in northern New Zealand.

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    Identification

    Identification

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    • Calyx

      Size

      • Calyx length: 0.8 – 1.8 cm in flower, but elongates to enclose the capsule in fruit (FNA 1993+)

      Shape

      • Calyx inflated oval or egg-shaped with a pointed end

      Surface Texture

      • Calyx surface with several longitudinal nerves, tuberculate with 2 stiff hairs from each tubercle
      • Nerves straight or a zig-zag pattern, and stellate hairy along their length
      • Calyx surface generally smooth between the nerves
      • Five longitudinal ridges from halfway down the calyx come together at the pointed end

      Colour

      • Calyx light brown when mature, nerves and ridges black coloured

      Other Features

      • Calyx hairs stiff and transparent, appearing like glass
      • The sealed calyx opens along the 5 ridges at the pointed end into 5 triangular valves
      • Mature calyx is thin with a papery consistency

      Hibiscus trionum

    • Capsule

      Size

      • Capsule length: 1.2 – 1.5 cm (FNA 1993+)

      Shape

      • Capsules long oval or egg-shaped, with 2 longitudinal rows of bumps on each valve to accommodate the seeds

      Surface Texture

      • Capsule hairy with 2 types of hairs: long, simple hairs and short gland-tipped hairs that are visible under 10x or higher magnification

      Colour

      • Capsule dark brown when mature

      Other Features

      • Capsule opens into 5 triangular valves that extend partway down the capsule

      Hibiscus trionum capsule

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    >

    • Seed

      Size

      • Seed length*: 1.8 – 2.4 mm; width: 1.8 – 2.1 mm

      Seed size from literature:
      • Seed length: 2 – 2.5 mm (FNA 1993+)
      • Seed length: 1.7 – 2.1 mm (Ionescu et al. 2017)

      *Note: minimum and maximum of 10 seeds in a normal range of this species using image measurement (ISMA 2020)

      Shape

      • Seed is heart-shaped with almost equal lobes and a V-shaped notch between them, compressed laterally
      • The radicle lobe is more narrow and higher than the cotyledon lobe
      • Hilum is in the notch between the 2 seed lobes, relatively large and oval shaped.

      Surface Texture

      • Seed surface with minute ridged reticulation visible under 10x
      • Seed surface with scattered papillate tubercles
      • Hilum area covered with striations in a radiating pattern

      Colour

      • Seed dull dark brownish-grey, dark reddish-brown or dark brown
      • Surface tubercles are glossy yellowish- brown
      • Ridged reticulations are whitish in fresh seed, they may be the colour of the seed after processing
      • Hilum is black coloured

      Other Features

      • A flat piece of tissue covers the hilum in fresh seed, but is generally removed during seed processing

      Flower-of-an-hour (Hibiscus trionum) seeds

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    • Embryo

      Size

      • Embryo fills the seed

      Shape

      • Embryo is irregularly folded in the seed, in an axial position

      Endosperm

      • Endosperm is present in small amounts

      Other Features

      • Embryo is dark yellow and soft textured

    Identification Tips

    CONSEILS POUR L’IDENTIFICATION

    A combination of heart shaped seeds with a tuberculate surface texture and capsule fruit is found in both Hibiscus and Abutilon. Hibiscus trionum seeds are smaller than Abutilon theoprasti and a number of other Hibiscus species, including H. rosa-sinensis, H. sabdariffa, H. cannabinus and H. moscheutos.

    H. trionum seeds can be distinguished from other Hibiscus species by the combination of small size, heart shape, shape not angular, lateral compression and papillate tubercles without attached hairs.

    Flower-of-an-hour (Hibiscus trionum) seed

    Additional Botany Information

    AUTRES RENSEIGNEMENTS BOTANIQUES

    Flowers/Inflorescence

    • Flowers open for only a few hours (FNA 1993+)
    • Petals white or light yellow with a reddish or purple patch at the base
    • Petal length: 1.5 – 3(–4) cm; width: 1 – 2(–3) cm (FNA 1993+)

    Vegetative Features

    • Plants generally grow up to 0.6 m in height, some up to 1 m (FNA 1993+)
    • Leaves are linear shaped, length: 1-2.5 cm (FNA 1993+)
    • Leaves and stems with a mixture of simple and stellate hairs

    Similar Species

    ESPÈCES SEMBLABLES

    Similar species are based on a study of seed morphology of various species, and those with similar dispersal units are identified. The study is limited by physical specimen and literature availability at the time of examination, and possibly impacted by the subjectivity of the authors based on their knowledge and experience. Providing similar species information for seed identification is to make users aware of similarities that could possibly result in misidentification.

    Abutilon theophrasti Medik.

    Abutilon theophrasti has historically been used for fibre and has since become a problematic weed of cultivated land and waste places (Warwick and Black 1988). The seeds (length *:3.0 – 4.0 mm; width: 2.5 – 3.4 mm) are larger than Hibiscus trionum, seed lobes are unequal, fewer surface tubercles and the tubercles hairy. H. trionum seeds have more surface tubercles, tubercles not hairy, and seed lobes are almost equal height.

    *Note: minimum and maximum of 20 seeds in a normal range of this species using image measurement (ISMA 2020)

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    Reference(s)

    Référence(s)

    Brouillet, L., Coursol, F., Meades, S. J., Favreau, M., Anions, M., Bélisle, P. and Desmet, P. 2010+. VASCAN, the database of vascular plants of Canada. http://data.canadensys.net/vascan/ Accessed April 29, 2021.

    Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International (CABI). 2023. Invasive Species Compendium, CAB International, Wallingford, UK. https://www.cabidigitallibrary.org/journal/cabicompendium Accessed October 31, 2023.

    Chachalis, D., Korres, N. and Khah, E.M. 2008. Factors Affecting Seed Germination and Emergence of Venice Mallow (Hibiscus trionum). Weed Science 56: 509–515.

    Craven, L.A., de Lange, P.B. , Lally, T.R ,Murray, B.G. and Johnson, S.B. 2011. A taxonomic re-evaluation of Hibiscus trionum (Malvaceae) in Australasia. New Zealand Journal of Botany, 49:27-40.

    Darbyshire, S. J. 2003. Inventory of Canadian Agricultural Weeds. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Research Branch. Ottawa, ON.

    Flora of China (FOC) 1994+. Hibiscus trionum Vol. 12 Page 293 (English edition). http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=200013734 Accessed October 31, 2023.

    Flora of North America (FNA) Editorial Committee, eds. 1993+. Flora of North America North of Mexico [Online]. 22+ vols. New York and Oxford. http://beta.floranorthamerica.org. Accessed October 31, 2023.

    Holm, L., Doll, J., Holm, E., Pancho, J. and Herberger, J. 1997. World Weeds: Natural Histories and Distribution. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, NY. 1129 pp.

    International Seed Morphology Association (ISMA). 2020. Method for Seed Size Measurement. Version 1.0. ISMA Publication Guide.

    Ionescu, N., Georgescu, M.I. , Săvulescu, E., Penescu, A., Lazăr, A. 2017. Fruits variability of Hibiscus trionum L. weed. Scientific Papers. Series A. Agronomy, 60:1-7.

    Kılıç, C.S., Aslan, S., Kartal, M. and Coşkun, M. 2011. Fatty Acid Composition of Hibiscus trionum L. (Malvaceae). Records of Natural Products 5: 65-69.

    Odero, D.C, Mesbah, A.O., Miller, S.D., and Kniss, A.R. 2009. Venice Mallow (Hibiscus trionum) Interference in Sugarbeet. Weed Technology 23: 581–585.

    Plants of the World Online (POWO) 2023. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org/ Accessed 19 October, 2023.

    Steyn, N.P., Olivier, J., Winter, P., Burger, S. and Nesamvuni, C. 2001. A survey of wild, green, leafy vegetables and their potential in combating micronutrient deficiencies in rural populations. South African Journal of Science 97: 276-278.

    U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Services (USDA-ARS). 2023. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN), https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomysearch Accessed October 31, 2023.

    Warwick, S. I. and Black, L. D. 1988. The Biology of Canadian Weeds 90. Abutilon theophrasti. Canadian Journal of Plant Science 68 (4): 1069-1085.

    Westra, P., Pearson, C.H. and Ristau, R. 1990. Control of Venice Mallow (Hibiscus trionum) in Corn (Zea mays) and Onions (Allium cepa). Weed Technology 4: 500-504.

    Wiersema, John, H. and Blanca León. 2016. World Economic Plants. Available from: VitalSource Bookshelf, (2nd Edition). Taylor & Francis.

     

    Author(s)

    AUTEUR(S)

    Jennifer Neudorf, Angela Salzl, Ruojing Wang

    Canadian Food Inspection Agency

     

    contactus@idseed.org

    Last updated
    on 2023-03-27

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