Comparative Study of Two Economically Important Species of Hibiscus L. (Malvaceae)
Keywords:
Hibiscus cannabinus L, Hibiscus sabdariffa L, Anatomy, Taxonomy, Marathwada, MaharashtraAbstract
The genus Hibiscus L. Malvaceae comprises several species of taxonomic, economic and medicinal importance, many of which exhibit close morphological resemblance, leading to difficulties in accurate identification. Among them, Hibiscus cannabinus L. and Hibiscus sabdariffa L. are widely cultivated species that differ in their utilitarian value but share several external similarities. The present study aims to provide, a comparative taxonomic assessment of these two species based on morphological and anatomical characters. Fresh specimen were collected from the Marathwada region of Maharashtra, India And examined using standard taxonomic and anatomical techniques. Morphological observations were recorded for vegetative characters, while anatomical investigations including transverse sections of Root, Stem, Leaf and Petiole Prepared using double staining technique. The findings highlight the importance of integrating anatomical characters with external morphology in resolving taxonomic ambiguities within the genus Hibiscus L. The present work contributes to regional floristic documentation and provides a structural basis for accurate identification of economically important Hibiscus L. Species.
Downloads
References
1. Adnan M, Oh KK, et al. (2020) Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L) leaves and seeds as a potential source of bioactive compounds: Effects of various extraction solvents on biological properties. Life.
2. Atlaw T, et al. (2024) Formulation and characterization of herbal tea from Hibiscus (Hibiscus sabdariffa L) and lemon verbena (Aloysia citriodora). CyTA J Food 22.
3. Aydi R, Hanana M, Mid R, Hamrouni L, Khouja MI, SalhiHanachi A (Kenaf: A review paper). J Nat Fibers.
4. Bhole AP, Ghadsing PG (2025) Taxonomical study of Hibiscus cannabinus L from dist Beed, Marathwada Maharashtra. Int J Sci Res Sci Technol 12(17): 117–125.
5. Bhole AP, Ghadsing PG (2026) Taxonomical study of Hibiscus sabdariffa L from Kalamb, Dharashiv (Osmanabad), Marathwada, Maharashtra. Multilogic in Sci ISSN 2277-7601.
6. Cook T (1967) Flora of Presidency of Bombay. Vol I & II. Botanical Survey of India, Calcutta.
7. Dalavi JV, Chavan JJ, Kamble MY (2025) Taxonomic implication of seed morphology in “Indian Rose Mallow” (Hibiscus L): Malvaceae. Wiley-Vich Feddes Repertorium 06: 1–16.
8. Dhore MA (1986) Flora of Amravati District with special reference to the distribution of tree species. Amravati University, Amravati.
9. Islam MM (2019) Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L, Malvaceae) research and development advances in Bangladesh: A review. J Nutr Food Process.
10. Islam MM (2019) Varietal advances of jute, kenaf and mesta crops in Bangladesh: A review. Int J Bioorg Chem 4(1): 24–41.
11. Naik VN (1998) Flora of Marathwada. Vol I & II. Amrut Prakashan, Aurangabad.
12. Patil HM, Bhaskar VV (2006) Medicinal knowledge system of tribals of Nandurbar district, Maharashtra. Indian J Tradit Knowl 5(3): 327–330.
13. Reddy ES, Bembrekar SK (2016) Traditional medicinal plants used for piles and fistula by tribes of Mahur Taluka of Nanded District, Maharashtra, India. World Wide J Multidiscip Res Dev 2(12): 34–36.
14. Shinde S, et al. (Year not provided) Hibiscus sabdariffa: The tropical plant with a wealth of health benefit. Int J Pharm Sci 2(11).
15. Singh NP, Vohra JN, Hajra PK, Singh DK (2000) Flora of India. Vol 5. Botanical Survey of India, Calcutta: 577.
16. Suhaili NI, Manshoor N (2022) Ethnomedicine, phytochemistry, and bioactivities of Hibiscus sabdariffa L (Malvaceae). J Herbmed Pharmacol.
17. WFO (World Flora Online). Royal Botanic Garden, Kew.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Authors

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons license unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If the material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons license and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/ licenses/by/4.0/



