Hibiscus: Hibiscus "Giant Yellow" Identification (circa 1900), 1 by Michael_Ronayne

Michael_Ronayne wrote:
In the first post in this thread I speculated as to the identity of Hibiscus Giant Yellow which was offered for sale as seeds in 1903, For reasons which are outlined below I have come to believe that Hibiscus Giant Yellow is in fact Hibiscus calyphyllus, which is from South Africa, not Northern Asia as I had first speculated.

PlantFiles: Lemon Yellow Rosemallow Hibiscus calyphyllus
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/37991/

I located one retail grower of Hibiscus calyphyllus in Austin TX, who is successfully overwintering this Hibiscus in Zone 8b. While this grower doesn’t ship, with the assistance of another DG member in Austin TX, I was able to have several Hibiscus calyphyllus shipped to my home in New Jersey without any difficulties. Here is the contact information for the grower which my friend in Austin and I highly recommend but is not currently in GWD.

Barton Springs Nursery
3601 Bee Caves Road
Austin TX
(512) 328-6655
http://www.bartonspringsnursery.net
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1423/5164414281_a9c1c3900b.jp... Picture of H. calyphyllus

To learn more about Hibiscus calyphyllus and its care, view this recent TV show and BLOG.

Central Texas Gardener Blog
http://www.klru.org/ctg/episode/date/5_21_2011/ @ Minute 16 into video.
http://www.klru.org/ctg/blog/?p=5099

Attached is a picture of two of the Hibiscus I ordered which have been transplanted from 4” pots into the large pots shown. I plan to keep these plants indoors this winder because I really have no idea as to how cold a winter they can tolerate but I know Zone 6b is out of the question.

The evidence for Hibiscus Giant Yellow being Hibiscus calyphyllus is presented below.

Mike

Short History of Hibiscus calyphyllus Nomenclature

In 1883 this Hibiscus was offered for sale under the name Hibiscus chrysanthus in England. By 1891 the same Hibiscus was identified as Hibiscus chrysantha in the United States, a practice which may have continued into the 1930’s. By 1892 the name Hibiscus calycinus was designated as the correct name for this species. By 1894 the modern name Hibiscus calyphyllus is found in association with Hibiscus calycinus.

In 1903 the New York City plant catalog of Peter Henderson & Co offered for sale the seeds of a Hibiscus identified as “Hibiscus Giant Yellow”. A 1902 trade magazine in the United States identified Hibiscus Giant Yellow as Hibiscus chrysantha. The 1903 catalog of Peter Henderson & Co was very found of the term “Giant” to describe it products and it is possible that the scientific description of the flower as “large yellow” was changed to “Giant Yellow” to promote sales.

For now the cold hardness of Hibiscus calyphyllus is open to speculation but it is know that Hibiscus calyphyllus is successfully overwintering in Austin, TX which is in Zone 8b. It is very likely that some of the reports for Hibiscus calyphyllus are in fact the more cold hardy Abelmoschus (Hibiscus) manihot. Even today the two species are being confused on the Internet.

Hibiscus calyphyllus References

Reference #1, 1883

The Gardeners' Year-book and Almanack: Volumes 24-26 Robert Hogg – 1883, p. 88
http://books.google.com/books?id=kOBNAAAAYAAJ&q=Hibiscus chr...
Hibiscus chrysanthus. (Bull Cat. p. 13.) Malvacese. S. or G. A free- growing shrubby plant, probably the same as H. trionum. L. subtrilobate. berrated ; fl. large, yellow with a purple-crimson eye. Natal.

Reference #2, 1891

Gardeners Chronicle & New Horticulturist, 1891, Vol. X, p. 462
http://books.google.com/books?id=rn7nAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA462

KEW NOTES.
Hibiscus Calycinus, Willd.— This is the correct name of the plant known in gardens as H. chrysanthus. It was distributed by Mr. Bull in 1884, who described it in his catalogue of new plants for that year as "a free-growing shrubby plant introduced from Natal. It has hairy stems, and roundish subtrilobate leaves. The flowers are of large size, campanulate, with broad obovate petals, yellow, with a purple-crimson spot at the base, forming a dark-coloured eye." A plant of it was obtained for Kew from M. Lemoine & Son, of Nancy, and this is now in flower. A peculiar character in this species is that of the epicalyx or involucre, which is formed of five broadly spathulate, cuspidate, bristle-pointed leaflets as long as the calyx. The flowers are 4 inches across, saucer-shaped, bright sulphur-yellow with a maroon-crimson blotch; the stamens are orange-yellow, and the stigma purple.

Reference #3, 1891

The Mayflower Magazine, Mayflower Publishing Co. New York 1891
Hibiscus Chrysantha, Chromolithograph.
http://www.oldimprints.com/OldImprints/images/product_images...
Note: Indirect citations only.

Reference #4, 1892

Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/4102606
Source: Bulletin of Miscellaneous Information (Royal Gardens, Kew), Vol. 1892, Appendix 2: New Garden Plants of the Year 1891 (1892), pp. 29-43
"New Garden Plants of the Year 1891"; from page 36 of paper.

Hibiscus calycinus, Willd. (G. C. 1891, x., p. 462.) S. shr.
The correct name of the plant introduced and distributed a few years ago under the name of H. chrysanthus. Native of Natal.
Note: G. C. = Gardeners' Chronicle.

Reference #5, 1894

Flora capensis: being a systematic description of the plants of the Cape colony, Caffraria, & Port Natal, 1894, p. 170
http://books.google.com/books?id=upIMAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA170&dq=Hi...

1. H. calycinus (Willd. Sp. 3. p. 817); shrubby; branches, petioles, and peduncles thinly stellato-pubescent; leaves on long petioles, roundish-cordate, obtusely 3-5-angled, crenate 5-7-nerved, velvetty and sprinkled with hairs; stipules subulate; peduncles axillary, shorter than the petiole; invol. of 5, broadly-spathulate, cuspidate and bristle-pointed many-nerved leaflets, about as long as the calyx; capsule ovate-acuminate, tomentose. DC. Prod. 1. p. 448. H. calyphyllus, Cav. Diss. 1.140. H. ficarius, E. Mey.l H. borbonicus, Link?

Hab. S. Africa, Dregel Caffraria, Dr. QUI I Mooje River, Burlce and Zey.! Natal, (humana. (Herb. T.C.D., Hook., Sond.).

A shrub, with slender, sub-simple branches and sub-distant leaves, pretty constant in shape and pubescence. The invol. leaflets are remarkable in form, and in their pungent points ; and serve to distinguish this species from Ludwigii, its nearest ally. Cavanille's figure, except that it shows an infantile corolla, is very good. The mature flowers are large, yellow, with a dark-red centre.

Reference #6, 1900

Bulletin of the New York Botanical Garden, Volume 1, 1900, Page 148
http://books.google.com/books?id=0isWAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA148&dq=Hi...
Hibiscus aurantlacus. G.
Hibiscus chrysantha. G.
Hibiscus milltaris. H.
Hibiscus Moecheutoe. N. H.
Hibiscus Moscheutos albus. N.
Hibiscus Trionum. H.
Hibiscus vlolaceus. G.
Hibiscus sp. G.
Hibiscus sp. H. N.

Referance #7, 1902

Success with Flowers, Vol. XII, 1902 Page 271
http://books.google.com/books?id=sVBEAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA271

Another variety of this class of Hibiscus comes under various names, as Chrysantha, Primrose, or Giant Yellow. Its cups are yellow, with a centre either black or maroon. It is even handsomer than Crimson Eye.

Reference #8, 1903

Wholesale catalogue for market growers and florists - Peter Henderson & Co – 1903, Page 18, New York City
http://books.google.com/books?id=aDLnAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA18&dq=Hib...
* HIBISCUS africanus, cream, purple eye, annual...
* HIBISCUS Rose pink with white base
* HIBISCUS Crimson Eye, white, crimson eye, hardy
* HIBISCUS Japanese "Manihot" cream, garnet eye
* HIBISCUS Giant Yellow, yellow, garnet throat, immense.
* HIBISCUS cocclneus, scarlet, perennial

Reference #9, 1903

The Flower Garden; a handbook of practical garden lore By Ida Dandridge Bennett, 1903, page 108
http://books.google.com/books?id=5WRDAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA108&dq=Hi...

Giant Yellow is a beautiful canary yellow with crimson throat, hardy as far north as St. Louis, but safer in the cellar above that latitude, and Coccinea, a tender perennial of a brilliant crimson. If started early all will give flowers the first season from seed, which may be sown in hotbeds or flats in February or March in drills one-fourth inch deep. They germinate in from five to seven days.

Reference #10, 1965

Baileya: Volumes 13-14
Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium – 1965, page 77
http://books.google.com/books?id=meQvAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA77&q=caly...

This species does not now seem to be offered commercially in the United States but may be seen occasionally, probability under the name H. calycinus, as a conservatory plant in the North or in the open in the South. The name H. calycinus is illegitimate, for Willdenow in publishing it should have used the earlier name of Cavanilles, H. calyphyllus, which he cited as a synonym. Plants offered in California in the 1930's and earlier under the horticultural name H. chrysanthus may have been H. calyphyllus or the closely related H. platycalyx.
Note: Page 77 of this book must be ordered to get a full view of reference.
Comment: Pictures of H. platycalyx are not convincing.