Scientific Name : Thespesia populnea (L.) Sol. ex Corr.
Common Name : Portia Tree
Chinese Name : 恆春黃槿、繖楊、桐棉、楊葉肖槿
Family : MALVACEAE
Local distribution status : Native species
| Origin | Native to Hong Kong, it is also distributed in some provinces of China, including Hainan, Guangxi, Guangdong, Taiwan; Indochina, Thailand, India, Sri Lanka, Philippines and tropical Africa. |
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| Meanings of Name | The generic name Thespesia is derived from the Greek word thespios, which refers to its flower turning purple from yellow. The specific epithet populnea means related to or similar to Populus. |
| Vitality | Portia Tree prefers a full-sun environment. It is highly tolerant to drought and water-logging, moderately tolerant to wind, pollutants and pruning. It also has high resistance to pests and diseases. Its fruit can float on water for several months without rot which helps in sea dispersal. |
| Ecology | Usually grows in sunny places near seashores or mangroves. |
| Application | This species is usually cultivated for shading purposes. Because of its tolerance to salty sea breezes, it is an ideal tree species for coastal windbreaks. Its fruit can used as dye and has a delouse ability. The whole plant is bitter and cold, it can clear away heat, detoxify, reduce swelling and relieve pain, could be applied to treat meningitis, dysentery, hemorrhoids, sputum and scabies. |
| Portia Tree (Thespesia populnea) and Cuban Bast (Hibiscus tiliaceus) | Both of the trees are members of Malvaceae. We can distinguish them by observing their leaves and calyx. Both of their leaves are ovate-cordate, while the leaf of Cuban Bast is rounder. The leaf apex of Portia Tree is more protruding than that of Cuban Bast. The leaf veins of Portia Tree are more prominent than that of Cuban Bast. Calyx of Portia Tree is non-divided, while the calyx of Cuban Bast is 5-lobed. |
| Growing Habit | Small evergreen tree. |
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| Height | To 8 m tall. |
| Stem | Branchlets scabrous, densely covered with minute brown peltate scales. |
| Leaves | Petioles blighted with scales; stipules linear lanceolate. Leaf blade ovate-cordate to triangular, base truncate to cordate, apex long caudate, margin entire, adaxially glabrous, abaxial leaf is sparsely scaly. |
| Flower | Flowers solitary, axillary; pedicels densely scaly. Calyx cup-shaped, apex truncate, 5-toothed. Corolla campanulate, yellow, with purple blotches at base adaxially. |
| Fruit | Capsule globose to pyriform, slightly fleshy. |
| Seed | Seed triangularly ovoid, striate, lanuginose or glabrous. |
| Flowering Period | Visible throughout the year in Hong Kong. |
Scientific name above is based on Hong Kong Herbarium website:
https://herbarium.gov.hk/en/hk-plant-database/plant-detail/index.html?pType=species&oID=4055
Scientific Names from Other Databases
―Flora of China: Thespesia populnea (L.) Soland. ex Corr.
―GBIF: Thespesia populnea (L.) Sol. ex Corrêa