About Hibiscus diversifolius Jacq.
Hibiscus diversifolius Jacq., commonly known as swamp hibiscus, is a widespread hibiscus species. It reaches a height between 1 and 2 metres, has prickly stems, and produces yellow flowers with a maroon spot at their base during spring and summer. This species occurs in tropical Africa, New Guinea, the Philippines, numerous Pacific Islands, Central America, South America, the Galapagos Islands, New Zealand, Norfolk Island, and the Australian states of New South Wales and Queensland. There is ongoing disagreement regarding its native range: some sources classify it as native only to Africa, and naturalised in all other regions where it grows, while others consider it native to New Zealand and Australia. It grows in low-lying, swampy areas. In Africa, it can be found both inland and near the coast; in all other continents it occurs, it grows only in coastal areas. This existing distribution pattern, combined with genomic evidence, indicates that the species originated in Africa, and colonized other continents via long-range salt-water dispersal.
