Thespesla lampas
(Cav.) Daiz. & Gibs. Bombay Fl. 19. 1861; Masters in Fl. Brit.
India 1: 345. 1874. Hibiscus lampas Cav. Diss. 3: 154, t. 56, f. 2. 1787. Azanza lampas
(Cav.) Alef. in Bot. Zeit. 19: 298.1861. Pariti gangeticum G. Don, Gen. Hist.1: 485.1831.
Hibiscus tetralocularis Roxb., Fl. Ind. 3: 198. 1832.
Asm.: Bon kapas; Beng.: Bankapas; Guj.: Jangliparaspiplo; Kan.: Turuve; Mal.:
Kottuparatti, Katupa varasu; Mar.: Ranbhendi; Tel.: Adavipratti Kondapratti.
Arborescent shrubs, 0.5 - 2.5 m high; twigs densely tomentose with stellate-hairs, ultimately g1abrescent. Leaves 6 - 12 cm across, orbicular, 3 - 5-lobed, lobes deltoid, cordate at base, acuminate, acute or rarely obtuse at apex; upper leaves 5 - 12 x 2 - 22 cm, ovate to oblong, shallowly cordate to rounded at base, entire, membranous to subcoriaceous, 5 - 7-nerved at base with a 3 - 5 mm long, linear nectary at base on midrib beneath, densely stellate-tomentose beneath, sparsely covered with stellate and short simple hairs above; petioles 1 - 12 cm long, densely hairy; stipules 5 - 8 mm, lanceolate to subulate, stellate-hairy. Flowers solitary, axillary or 1 - 5 in long stalked racemes by reduction of upper leaves; pedicels 3 - 7 mm, slightly accrescent, sulcate, jointed above middle; hypanthium 2 - 6.5 x 4 - 6 mm, obconical. Epicalyx segments 5, free, 2 - 3 x 0.5 mm, usually subulate, minutely hairy, caducous. Calyx ca 5 mm long, cupular, with 5 small subulate to deltoid segments, densley stellate-hairy outside, ultimately glabrescent, stellate hairy on segments inside and with a ring of short hairs at base. Corolla yellow with dark purple centre, campanulate; petals ca 6 x 4 cm, obovate, rounded at apex, with scattered stellate and gland-tipped hairs outside, glabrous, inside. Staminal column 1 - 2 cm long, glabrous. Ovary ca 8 mm in diam., conical, acuminate, densely hairy. Capsules 2 - 3 x 1.5 - 2 cm, ovoid to globose, minutely stellate-hairy becoming glabrescent, dehiscing into 5 valves, valves thick, woody, stellate-hairy on nerves inside. Seeds 8 - 15 in each locule, 5 mm long, obovoid, angular, more or less densely appressed, short, simple hairy, glabrescent, black.
Fl. & Fr. Aug. - Dec.
Notes. It can easily be distinguished from T. populnea (L.) Sol. ex Correa by its shrubby habit, 3-lobed leaves with nectary on midrib beneath and dehiscent capsule.
The roots and fruits are reported to be used for treating gonorrhea and Syphilis.
Arborescent shrubs, 0.5 - 2.5 m high; twigs densely tomentose with stellate-hairs, ultimately g1abrescent. Leaves 6 - 12 cm across, orbicular, 3 - 5-lobed, lobes deltoid, cordate at base, acuminate, acute or rarely obtuse at apex; upper leaves 5 - 12 x 2 - 22 cm, ovate to oblong, shallowly cordate to rounded at base, entire, membranous to subcoriaceous, 5 - 7-nerved at base with a 3 - 5 mm long, linear nectary at base on midrib beneath, densely stellate-tomentose beneath, sparsely covered with stellate and short simple hairs above; petioles 1 - 12 cm long, densely hairy; stipules 5 - 8 mm, lanceolate to subulate, stellate-hairy. Flowers solitary, axillary or 1 - 5 in long stalked racemes by reduction of upper leaves; pedicels 3 - 7 mm, slightly accrescent, sulcate, jointed above middle; hypanthium 2 - 6.5 x 4 - 6 mm, obconical. Epicalyx segments 5, free, 2 - 3 x 0.5 mm, usually subulate, minutely hairy, caducous. Calyx ca 5 mm long, cupular, with 5 small subulate to deltoid segments, densley stellate-hairy outside, ultimately glabrescent, stellate hairy on segments inside and with a ring of short hairs at base. Corolla yellow with dark purple centre, campanulate; petals ca 6 x 4 cm, obovate, rounded at apex, with scattered stellate and gland-tipped hairs outside, glabrous, inside. Staminal column 1 - 2 cm long, glabrous. Ovary ca 8 mm in diam., conical, acuminate, densely hairy. Capsules 2 - 3 x 1.5 - 2 cm, ovoid to globose, minutely stellate-hairy becoming glabrescent, dehiscing into 5 valves, valves thick, woody, stellate-hairy on nerves inside. Seeds 8 - 15 in each locule, 5 mm long, obovoid, angular, more or less densely appressed, short, simple hairy, glabrescent, black.
Fl. & Fr. Aug. - Dec.
Notes. It can easily be distinguished from T. populnea (L.) Sol. ex Correa by its shrubby habit, 3-lobed leaves with nectary on midrib beneath and dehiscent capsule.
The roots and fruits are reported to be used for treating gonorrhea and Syphilis.
KEY TO THE VARIETIES
| 1a. Calyx lobes 1 - 3 mm long, subulate to triangular | 2.1. lampas |
| b. Calyx lobes 8 - 15 mm long, triangular to linear-triangular | 2.2. longisepala |
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