Flower Of An Hour, Bladder Hibiscus, Venice, Venus Mallow

Hibiscus trionum

hi-BIS-kus  try-OH-num

Synonyms of Hibiscus trionum (28) (Updated on 12-20-23 from Plants of the World Online): Abelmoschus collinsianus (Nutt. ex Torr. & A.Gray) Alph.Wood (1861), Hibiscus africanus Mill. (1768), Hibiscus armeniacus Bouché (1840), Hibiscus collinsianus Nutt. ex Torr. & A.Gray (1838), Hibiscus cuneifolius Garcke (1849)(nom. illeg.), Hibiscus dissectus Wall. (1831)(not validly publ.), Hibiscus hastifolius E.Mey. ex Harv. (1860), Hibiscus hispidus Mill. (1768), Hibiscus humboldtii Fisch. & C.A.Mey. (1840), Hibiscus humboldtii Schrank ex Colla (1826), Hibiscus marchallianus Fisch. & C.A.Mey. (1843), Hibiscus pallidus Raf. ex S.Watson (1878), Hibiscus physodes E.Mey. ex Harv. (1860), Hibiscus pusillus Eckl. & Zeyh. (1835)(nom. illeg.), Hibiscus ternatus Cav. (1787), Hibiscus trionicus St.-Lag. (1880)(orth. var.), Hibiscus trionum var. cordifolius DC. (1824), Hibiscus trionum var. ternatus DC. (1824), Hibiscus trionum var. vesicarius (Cav.) Hochr. (1900), Hibiscus uniflorus E.Mey. ex Harv. (1860), Hibiscus vesicarius Cav. (1787), Ketmia trionum (L.) Scop. (1771), Laguna ternata (Cav.) Willd. (1800), Trionum annuum Medik. (1787), Trionum cordifolium Moench (1802), Trionum diffusum Moench (1794), Trionum frutescens Medik. (1787), Trionum trionum (L.) Wooton & Standl. (1915)(not validly publ.)

Hibiscus trionum L. is the accepted scientific name for this species of Hibiscus. Both the genus and species were named and described as such by Carl von Linnaeus in the second volume of the first edition of Species Plantarum in 1753.

As of 1-2-23 when this page was last updated, Plants of the World Online lists 434 species in the Hibiscus genus. It is a member of the plant family Malvaceae with 246 genera. Those numbers could change as updates are made on POWO.

The distribution map above for Hibiscus trionum is from Plants of the World Online. Areas in green are where the species is native and purple is where it has been introduced. The map on the USDA Plants Database for North America is similar. The species could be more widespread than what the maps show

The map on iNaturalist shows where members have made observations. Anyone can join and it is a great website to confirm and share your observations. The maps on iNaturalist are continually updated as members post new observations.

THERE ARE SEVERAL LINKS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE FOR FURTHER READING AND TO HELP WITH A BETTER POSITIVE ID.

I found a few of these growing in the garden in 2020 but its flowers were usually always closed by the time I went to work in the garden. The species gets its common name, Flower of An Hour, due to the flowers being only open for a short period of time during the day

The Hibiscus trionum is an easily recognized wildflower that grows in a variety of habitats in fields, gardens, and pastures, especially where the ground has been tilled. The species is not native to the United States and was originally brought here as an ornamental. They can become a problem in fields and gardens…

Hibiscus trionum grows in a loose cluster of stems at least 24” long. The round stems are pubescent (hairy), but the hairs usually fall off as the plant ages.

Missouri Plants says many of the hairs appear branched or fasciculate (closely grouped clusters). The stems may become scabrous caused by the swollen bases of the fasciculate hairs.

What complicated leaves to explain! The leaves are deeply 3-lobed, each lobe being lobed. The leaves grow in an alternate manner along the stems and many have stems growing from the adaxial (where the petiole comes from the stem) at the nodes. Leaves can be scalloped and/or have blunt teeth. The upper surface of the leaves are fairly pubescent (hairy) with normal and fasciculate hairs along the veins. You can read better and more technical descriptions from several of the links below.

Individual flowers emerge on fairly long, hairy petioles from the axils (adaxial) of stem leaves at the nodes.

The flowers are only open for s short period of time during the day. Flowers are around 2” in diameter, have 5 yellow petals, purple at the base. The flower petals are surrounded by a large calyx with 5 segments that enlarge over a few days. The calyx is surrounded by several bracts. Well, there is obviously more to the flower than that but you can read about them from the links below.

The interesting thing about the Hibiscus trionum is how they pollinate. Once the flowers open they are receptive to pollination from bees or other insects. Since the flowers are only open for a short period, they may not get pollinated with the pollen from other flowers. If this is the case, perhaps once the flower closes, the styles in the center of the flower bend to make contact with the anthers to self-pollinate. 

There are a few more photos at the bottom of the page…

I have enjoyed photographing and learning about the many wildflowers growing on the family farm and in other areas. The farm is in Windsor, Missouri in Pettis County (Henry County is across the street, and Benton and Johnson aren’t far away). I have grown over 500 different plants and identified over 250 species of wildflowers (most have pages listed on the right side of the blog). I am not an expert, botanist, or horticulturalist. I just like growing, photographing, and writing about my experience. I rely on several websites for ID and a horticulturalist I contact if I cannot figure them out. Wildflowers can be somewhat variable from location to location, so sometimes it gets a bit confusing. If you see I have made an error, please let me know so I can correct what I have written.

I hope you found this page useful and be sure to check the links below for more information. They were written by experts and provide much more information. Some sites may not be up-to-date but they are always a work in progress. If you can, I would appreciate it if you would click on the “Like” below and leave a comment. It helps us bloggers stay motivated. You can also send an email to me at thebelmontrooster@yahoo.com. I would enjoy hearing from you especially if you notice something is a bit whacky

FOR FURTHER READING:
PLANTS OF THE WORLD ONLINE (GENUS/SPECIES)
INTERNATIONAL PLANT NAMES INDEX (GENUS/SPECIES)
TROPICOS (GENUS/SPECIES)
FLORA OF MISSOURI (GENUS/SPECIES)
FLORA OF NORTH AMERICA (GENUS/SPECIES)
WORLD FLORA ONLINE (GENUS/SPECIES)
WIKIPEDIA (GENUS/SPECIES)
USDA PLANTS DATABASE
MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN
MISSOURI PLANTS
iNATURALIST
WILDFLOWER SEARCH
DAVE’S GARDEN
ILLINOIS WILDFLOWERS
MINNESOTA WILDFLOWERS
KANSAS WILDFLOWERS AND GRASSES
PFAF (PLANTS FOR A FUTURE)
GO BOTANY
FLORA FINDER
GARDENING KNOW HOW
AWKWARD BOTANY

NOTE: The data (figures, maps, accepted names, etc.) may not match on these websites. It depends on when and how they make updates and when their sources make updates. Some websites have hundreds and even many thousands of species to keep up with. Accepted scientific names change periodically and it can be hard to keep with as well. Some of the links may use a name that is a synonym on other sites. In my opinion, Plants of the World Online by Kew is one of the most reliable and up-to-date plant databases and they make updates regularly. I make updates “at least” once a year and when I write new pages or add new photos but I do get behind. We are all a work in progress. 🙂

A FEW MORE PHOTOS…