January 21, 2017

Location: Fellsmere, my yard

This bud from the other day is officially now a flower, and thanks to Heather, I now know that it is a Cranberry Hibiscus. According to the UF/IFAS extension, "False Roselle, Maroon mallow, Red-Shield hibiscus and Cranberry hibiscus are all different names for Hibiscus acetosella. ¹"

This plant isn't native to Florida, it is native to central and west Africa.  It is edible - the calyces of the roselle flower can be used to make jams, sauces, and teas. ²

Definitions:

• Calyces: The sepals of a flower collectively, forming the outer floral envelope that protects the developing flower bud. ³
• Sepals: One of the usually separate, green parts that surround and protect the flower bud and extend from the base of a flower after it has opened. Sepals tend to occur in the same number as the petals and to be centered over the petal divisions. In some species sepals are colored like petals, and they can even be indistinguishable from petals, as in the lilies (in what are called tepals). In some groups, such as the poppies, the sepals fall off after the flower bud opens. ⁴

Sources:

(1) UF/IFAS IFAS Extension
(2) IFAS Gardening Solutions
(3) Calyces definition
(4) Sepals definition

Photo and text © 2017 Dee Fairbanks Simpson