Description

Comfortroot (Hibiscus aculeatus) is a species of plant in the family Malvaceae. Common name include pineland hibiscus. Hibiscus aculeatus is a flowering plant. Hibiscus aculeatus is described by Weakley as having harshly scabrous stems and leaves with three lobes. The flower can be identified by a dark red inner circle surrounded by a cream to white outer circle pattern on the petals. The perennial shrub is known to flower at any point from late spring to early fall. They are a member of the family Malvaceae, also known as the mallow family. The species is pollinated by bees, especially bumblebees.

Characteristics:

Rambling or climbing shrubs; stems, petioles and pedicels armed with recurved prickles, often intermingled with dense stellate indumentum. Leaves entire to 3-5-angled or lobed, 4-8 x 3-7 cm, cordate or truncate at the base, margins coarsely serrate, apex acuminate, prickly on the nerves beneath; petiole 4-7 cm long, prickly; stipules c. 7 x 3 mm, lanceolate, ciliate. Flowers axillary, solitary; pedicels 1.5-5 cm long, jointed above middle, prickly. Involucral bracts 10-12, c. 15 x 3 mm, bifurcate, apex spathulate. Calyx tube c. 1 cm long, nerves densely pubescent with long stellate and simple hairs; lobes 5, c. 10 x 4 mm, lanceolate. Corolla c. 8 cm across, yellow with deep purple center; petals 5, 4-5 x 3-4 cm, obovate. Staminal column up to 1.5 cm long, antheriferous throughout; filaments c. 3 mm long, purplish; anthers purplish. Ovary c. 5 mm long, ovoid, 5-celled, densely apprssed hairy; stigma 5, capitate. Capsule c. 1.5 cm long, ovoid or conical, bristly hairy. Seeds c. 4 mm long, 3-gonous, dark brown, concentrically tubercled.

Medicinal uses:

The ethno medical use of Hibiscus aculeatus was recorded are diuretic, astringent, antiulcer, anti inflammatory and anthelmintic. Gastric hyperacidity and ulcer are very common causing human suffering today.