Hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis): Importance and Classification

Hibiscus comprises a large genus of flowering plants under the Malvaceae family. One important Hibiscus cultivated worldwide is Hibiscus rosa-sinensis. It is a renowned ornamental plant that comes with different flower forms and colors. It is considered as the queen of Filipino garden in the Philippines. It is considered as the national flower of countries like Malaysia and Hawaii. Aside from ornamental importance, Hibiscus is also used for feed, food, industrial, and medicinal preparations. It is used as colorant, component of salads, developed into jams, among others. Its extracts were used to remedy hair fall and dandruff. Further, different plant parts were used to treat infections. It also has expectorant, diuretic, emollient effects, among others. More than its food, feed, industrial, and medical uses, Hibiscus also has cultural significance and symbolism especially in Haiti, Tahiti, and Hawaii. The origin of Hibiscus is still uncertain but believed to come from India, China, or Americas as stated by some studies. Hibiscus rosa-sinensis is widely distributed in tropical and subtropical conditions with different cultivars with different flower color and form. Other related species of Hibiscus rosa-sinensis were found to be hardy in winter. Further, other related species of Hibiscus have economic importance. They also possess important traits such as resistance or tolerance to pests and diseases, hardiness, drought or waterlogging tolerance, etc. These species can be used for genetic improvement of Hibiscus. However, extensive intraspecific breeding were done in Hibiscus around the world producing thousands of cultivars. In the Philippines, several cultivars were released as Series by the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB). Collectively, more than 40 hybrids were released by UPLB. In addition, private breeders in the Philippines and in different parts of the world also produced and released Hibiscus hybrids. Also, a cultivar library for majority of the hybrids was developed by the International Hibiscus Society where a search engine and a genealogy search can be used by breeders and collectors. Further, the chapter presents some of the cultivars released in the Philippines by UPLB, by private breeders, and other international breeders.