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Useful Tropical Plants

Hibiscus lasiococcus

Baill.

Malvaceae

+ Synonyms

Hibiscus domatiocarpus Hochr.

Common Name:

Hibiscus lasiococcus
Close-up of the flower
Photograph by: Herisoa Manjakahery
Creative Commons License

General Information

Hibiscus lasiococcus is a tree, it can grow up to 20 metres tall, exceptionally to 25 metres. The bole is up to 60cm in diameter, occasionally to 120cm[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].
The tree is harvested from the wild for local use as a source of fibre and wood.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

455
Title
Flore de Madagascar et des Comores
Publication
 
Author
Humbert H.
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/
Publisher
Museum National D'Histoire Naturelle; Paris
Year
1946 - 1984
ISBN
 
Description
Written in French, an excellent flora of the area though it has not been completed. Available for download from the Internet.

Range

Africa - eastern Madagascar.

Habitat

Scattered in forests at elevations up to 1,000 metres[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].

Properties

Other Uses Rating *  *
HabitTree
Height15.00 m
Growth RateFast
Cultivation StatusWild

Cultivation Details



Fast growth has been observed in plantations, with 2-year-old plants reaching a height of 4 - 5 metres; 10-year-old plants a height of 10 - 12 metres with a bole diameter of 12 - 15cm; and 14-year-old trees a height of 16 - 18 metres with a bole diameter of 18 - 25cm[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

A durable fibre is obtained from the inner bark. It is woven into 'lamba' cloth and made into cordage. It is suitable for fishing nets[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].

The heartwood is beige to pale brown, sometimes yellow; it is sharply demarcated from the up to 5cm wide band of whitish sapwood. Texture is medium; the grain usually straight with the wood sometimes streaked or veined; it has a pepper-like odour when freshly cut. The wood is light in weight; flexible; tough; soft; of low durability; a single test indicated resistance to termites, but this needs confirmation; the resistance to attacks by other insects and by fungi is very poor. The wood is moderately stable in service. Working properties are good with all tools and the wood saws easily; it planes to a surface with a nice lustre; peels well, but slicing is advisable because of the brittle or hollow centre of the log; it glues, nails and screws well, with good holding power. The centre of large boles is often hollow or providing wood of low quality[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
]. The wood, known as 'alampona', is used locally for making furniture and logs are made into dug-out canoes. The wood is considered suitable for light construction, light carpentry, interior trim, ship and boat building, furniture, cabinet work, shuttering, boxes, crates, carvings, toys, novelties, model building, food containers, veneer, plywood, blockboard core and particle board[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].

Propagation

Seed - sow in containers. Germination is usually fairly rapid and no special pretreatment is needed, although germination will be faster if the seed is abraded or soaked prior to sowing[
397
Title
Australian Native Plants Society
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://anpsa.org.au/index.html
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A series of fact sheets on Australian plants. Good photographs, brief description and information on uses, habitat, range, cultivation etc.
]. Prick out container-grown seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and plant them out into their permanent positions when they are 10cm or more tall.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood in a frame. They generally strike readily, particularly if cuttings are taken on an angle through a node and rooting hormone is applied to their ends[
397
Title
Australian Native Plants Society
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://anpsa.org.au/index.html
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A series of fact sheets on Australian plants. Good photographs, brief description and information on uses, habitat, range, cultivation etc.
].
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-03-29. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Hibiscus+lasiococcus>

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