Table 1. Morphological diagnostic characters delimiting H in Morphological and environmental variation within Hibiscus krichauffianus (Malvaceae), and the recognition of two new species, H. verecundus and H. calcareus

Table 1. Morphological diagnostic characters delimiting H. krichauffianus sens. strict., and the three new entities.
CharacterMorphotype A – Hibiscus krichauffianusMorphotype B – Hibiscus verecundusMorphotype C – Hibiscus calcareusMorphotype D – Hibiscus sp. Belele (D.W.Goodall 3417)Substrate preferenceDeep sandTypically shallow soils over sandstone, laterite or basaltLime-rich soilsInsufficient dataPlant habitSubshrub or shrub to ~1 m high, usually erect or ascendingLow spreading subshrub or shrub to ~0.5 m high, usually decumbentLow subshrub to ~0.5 m high, spreading, dome-shaped or roundedLow or dwarf subshrub or shrub to ~0.3 m highBranchlet indumentum colourSilvery-white, white, sometimes fading to yellowish-whiteYellowish-brown, sometimes fading to whiteWhite, or silvery-whiteWhite on younger branchlets, older branchlets becoming ferruginous (ferruginous rays and white rays sometimes on the same hair)Stipule width (mm)0.16–0.40.1–0.170.2–0.50.2–0.35Leaf lamina colour (adaxial)Whitish-silver to grey, becoming greyish-green with ageGreen to dark greenGrey to silvery-whiteSilvery–ferruginousLeaf lamina shapeMostly ovate to lanceolate or oblong, occasionally broadly ovateOvate to broadly ovate, rarely elliptic–ovateOvate, elliptic–ovate or oblong–ovateOvate to elliptic–ovateLeaf lamina in transverseFlat to weakly concave or weakly foldedFlat to weakly concave or weakly foldedMostly strongly concave to vshaped (and appearing folded on many herbarium specimens)Flat to weakly foldedLeaf lamina length and width (mm)10–55 × 5–359–52 × 8–336–28 × 4–1617–43 × 6–22Leaf lamina baseObtuse, truncate or very broadly cuneateBroadly cuneate, obtuse or truncateBroadly cuneate or truncateTruncate, very slightly cordate or broadly obtuseLeaf lamina marginCrenate to dentateSerrate to dentate, rarely crenateSerrate to dentate or crenate, undulate, sinus between teeth up to halfway to midveinDentate to crenateAbcision line (at peduncle–pedicel junction), whether visible and positionNot obvious, obscured by hairs, usually 1–2 mm from the base, rarely up to one-half length from the baseSometimes obvious, one-third to one-half length from the base±Obvious, sometimes obscured by hairs, usually in upper half, 2–17 (–24) mm from the base±Obvious, sometimes obscured by hairs, approximately one-third length from the baseNumber of epicalyx lobes5–8 (rarely 10, rarely bifurcating)5–77–85–6Epicalyx length (Including fused portion, excluding receptacle) (mm)7–166–104–146–12Fusion of epicalyx lobes at baseFused for 1–4 mmFree or fused to 0.5 mmFused for 1–3.5 mmFree or fused for up to 1 mmEpicalyx lobes degree of curvatureStraight in flower, becoming recurved or rarely incurved in fruitStraightStraight in flower, becoming recurved in fruitStraight in flower, becoming recurved in fruitCorolla colourPale pink or mauve (rarely white)Pale pink or white (sometimes drying pale yellow)Pale pink to mauve, sometimes almost whitePurplePetal length (mm)17–3515–2820–4439–42Seed indumentumPatchy indumentum of wispy spreading, white to off-white hairsShort patchy indumentum of appressed white to yellowish-brown hairsShort patchy indumentum of appressed white hairsShort patchy indumentum of appressed white to yellowish hairsSeed length (mm, greatest dimension)2–31.7–2.32.5–3~3Seed characteristic features or notesReniform (rarely subangular–reniform), funicular remnants brown, membranous and wing-like, on either side of the hilumTwo straighter sides almost forming a right angle at intersection, funicular remnants brown, membranous and wing-like, one centrally placed and one on either side of the hilumTwo straighter sides almost forming a right angle at intersection, funicular remnants brown, membranous and wing-like, on either side of the hilumTwo straighter sides almost forming a right angle at intersection, funicular remnants brown, membranous and wing-like, on either side of the hilumFlower cleistogamyObserved in some specimensNo evidenceObserved in a single specimenNot observed in material examined