Hibiscus acetosella Welw. ex Hiern

Hibiscus acetosella or red-leaf rosella is native to the southern tropical African region, from Burundi to Mozambique, and is thought to be a natural hybridization result between Hibiscus asper and Hibiscus surattensis. Introduced to Southeast Asia as a vegetable and colorful hedge plant, its sour-tasting, mucilaginous-textured leaves are commonly added to salads or soups, while its red flowers are brewed as tea. Traditionally, this plant is also used as a post-fever recovery tonic and treatment for anemia.

Hibiscus acetosella is found across a wide tropical African region, usually growing at low to medium elevations. This plant can also be grown as a perennial in warm climates. Grows best in areas with good rainfall. Succeeds in a sunny position, but prefers shade. Grows in all soil types but prefers fertile, well-drained, humus-rich soil.

• Stem smooth to sparsely hairy.
• Leaves alternate, simple, slightly glossy and puberulent, dark red, with the lower leaves usually shallowly to strongly palmately 3-5 lobed but the upper leaves becoming undivided, with distinct nectaries located at the base of the leaf blade. Petiole dark red.
• Flowers solitary and bisexual, located in the leaf axils with five pink petals and lasting only one day. The petals are wine-red with a dark purple center, giving the flower a distinctive "eye" in the middle. Self-pollination most often occurs in H. acetosella flowers but cross-pollination by insects can also occur.
• Fruit a red, ovoid, many-seeded capsule.
• Seeds reniform (kidney-shaped) becoming round, dark brown when ripe, and verruculose (finely verrucose, i.e. bearing wart-like protrusions on the surface).

• Propagated with seed and stem cuttings.
• Sow seed in place or in a container. Germination is usually fairly quick. Plant seedlings grown in containers into individual pots once large enough to handle, and plant out into permanent positions once 10 cm tall or more.

Phenolic compounds, flavonoids, and anthocyanins.

A post-fever tonic and treatment for anemia, body aches in children. Has anti-inflammatory, antimutagenic, antioxidant, and antibacterial activity.

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