About Talipariti tiliaceum (L.) Fryxell
This species, currently recognized by the scientific name Talipariti tiliaceum (L.) Fryxell, is also widely referenced by the synonym Hibiscus tiliaceus in this description. When growing as H. tiliaceus, it reaches a height of 4–10 m (13–33 ft), with a trunk up to 15 cm (5.9 in) in diameter. Newly opened flowers are bright yellow with a deep red center. Over the course of the day, the flowers deepen in color to orange and finally red before falling from the tree. Its branches often curve over time. The leaves are heart shaped, and they are deep red in the cultivar var. rubra. This plant has a worldwide tropical distribution. In the Old World and Oceania, it is a common coastal plant across most of tropical Africa, South Asia (including the Maldives), Southeast Asia, parts of East Asia as far north as central Japan (its northernmost extent), eastern and northern Australia, and much of the Pacific Islands including Hawaii. It has also been introduced to New Zealand. A separate subspecies, subsp. pernambucensis, formerly classified as the separate species H. pernambucensis, is native to the tropical New World, including Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and much of South America. This subspecies has also been introduced to Florida. It is uncertain if the main species is native to Hawaii, as it may have been introduced by Polynesians. Plants of the World Online considers it native to Hawaii, while the IUCN lists its native status there as uncertain. This species can be found at elevations ranging from sea level to 800 m (2,600 ft), growing in areas that receive 900–2,500 mm (35–98 in) of annual rainfall. It is commonly found growing on beaches, along rivers, and in mangrove forests. Commonly called sea hibiscus, it is well adapted to coastal environments because it tolerates salt and waterlogging, and can grow in quartz sand, coral sand, marl, limestone, and crushed basalt. It grows best in slightly acidic to alkaline soils, with a soil pH between 5 and 8.5. The town of Cotton Tree in Queensland, Australia is named for this plant. The wood of H. tiliaceus has a specific gravity of 0.6. It has been used for many applications, including seacraft construction, firewood, and wood carvings. It planes easily and turns well, so many people consider it a high-quality wood for furniture. Plant fibers harvested from the stems have traditionally been used to make rope, while its bark has been used similarly to cork to seal cracks in boats. The bark and roots may be boiled to make a cooling tea to reduce fevers, and its young leafy shoots may be eaten as a vegetable. Native Hawaiians used the wood to make ʻiako (spars) for waʻa (outrigger canoes), mouo (fishing net floats), and ʻau koʻi (adze handles). They made kaula ʻilihau (cordage) from the plant's bast fibers. Hau was used to make ʻama (canoe floats) if the preferred wiliwili (Erythrina sandwicensis) was unavailable. Hibiscus tiliaceus is widely grown as a bonsai subject in Asian countries, especially Taiwan. The finest bonsai specimens are collected from Kenting National Park. The species lends itself well to free grafting, and its leaf size reduces fairly quickly when cultivated for bonsai. Its leaves are also used in cooking as trays for steamed rice cakes (粿). In Indonesia, H. tiliaceus is also used to ferment tempeh. The undersides of the leaves are covered in downy hairs technically known as trichomes, to which the mold Rhizopus oligosporus naturally adheres in the wild. Soybeans are pressed into the leaf and stored, and fermentation occurs to produce tempeh. Indigenous Australians traditionally used the inner bark of this tree to craft fishing nets and ropes, particularly for ropes used with dugong and turtle harpoons. The wood was also used to make shields. For medicinal purposes, Indigenous Australians soaked inner bark and sapwood in water and heated the mixture with hot stones to produce a liquid, which was applied to wash wounds. Strips of bark were also used as natural bandages, wrapped around injuries to cover and close them.
