Kosteletzkya pentacarpos

(Linnaeus) Ledebour

Fl. Ross. 1: 437. 1842.

Common names: Fen-rose saltmarsh or seashore or seaside or Virginia saltmarsh mallow
Basionym: Hibiscus pentacarpos Linnaeus Sp. Pl. 2: 697. 1753
Synonyms: Kosteletzkya althaeifolia (Chapman) A. Gray ex S. Watson K. pentacarpos var. smilacifolia (Chapman) S. N. Alexander K. smilacifolia (Linnaeus) C. Presl ex A. Gray K. virginica K. virginica var. althaeifolia Chapman K. virginica var. aquilonia Fernald
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 6. Treatment on page 274. Mentioned on page 273.

Plants to 3 m, herbage variously pubescent, mostly sparsely to densely stellate-hairy to glabrate. Stems sparingly to freely branched. Leaves: stipules 2.5–10 mm; petiole of lower leaves 1/3–2/3 times blade; blade narrowly ovate to transversely ovate, often palmately or hastately 3(–5)-lobed, 5.5–17.5 × 3.5–16 cm, margins coarsely to finely serrate or irregularly dentate or ± entire, apex acute to acuminate. Inflorescences solitary flowers in axils of upper leaves or axillary on lateral branches. Pedicels exceeding petiole but not blade; involucellar bractlets 8–10, linear to subulate, 4–10 mm. Flowers: calyx divided for ca. 3/4 its length, campanulate to rotate, 7–11 mm; corolla rotate, becoming funnelform-campanulate as day progresses, petals usually pink, rarely white, yellow at base, asymmetrically obovate, 15–45 × 10–40 mm; staminal column ± declinate, yellow, 15–35 mm, bearing filaments nearly to base; filaments mostly 1–2.5 mm; anthers subsessile, yellow; pollen yellow; styles deep pink, 2.5–9 mm; stigmas deep pink. Capsules dark brown, 10–14 mm diam., minutely to coarsely hairy, valve margins strongly curved in outline. Seeds brown with paler concentric lines, 3–4 mm, glabrous. 2n = 38 (as K. virginica).


Phenology: Flowering late summer, sometimes winter–spring in Florida.
Habitat: Coastal brackish and fresh marshes
Elevation: 0–20 m

Distribution

V6 499-distribution-map.jpg

Ala., Del., D.C., Fla., Ga., La., Md., Miss., N.J., N.Y., N.C., Pa., S.C., Tex., Va., West Indies (w Cuba), Bermuda, Eurasia (e Azerbaijan, Balearic Islands, Corsica, w Georgia, n Iran, n Italy, sw Russia, s Spain).

Discussion

Kosteletzkya pentacarpos has been known widely in the United States as K. virginica; the Eurasian K. pentacarpos is virtually indistinguishable from our northeastern plants (O. J. Blanchard 2008). The two basionyms were published simultaneously by Linnaeus; A. J. Cavanilles ([1785]–1790, diss. 3) was the first to unite them, and his choice of the epithet pentacarpos must be followed.

A chromosome number of 2n = 34, at variance with that accepted here, has been reported for Kosteletzkya pentacarpos (N. Tornadore et al. 2000); it is probably an error (O. J. Blanchard 2012).

Kosteletzkya pentacarpos is variable, and this is reflected in the number of infraspecific names that have appeared. S. N. Alexander et al. (2012) examined the named variants and concluded that only a narrow-leaved extreme from southern Florida should be retained: K. pentacarpos var. smilacifolia. White-flowered plants are found occasionally.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
... more about "Kosteletzkya pentacarpos"
Orland J. Blanchard Jr. +
(Linnaeus) Ledebour +
Hibiscus pentacarpos +
Fen-rose +  and saltmarsh or seashore or seaside or Virginia saltmarsh mallow +
Ala. +, Del. +, D.C. +, Fla. +, Ga. +, La. +, Md. +, Miss. +, N.J. +, N.Y. +, N.C. +, Pa. +, S.C. +, Tex. +, Va. +, West Indies (w Cuba) +, Bermuda +, Eurasia (e Azerbaijan +, Balearic Islands +, Corsica +, w Georgia +, n Iran +, n Italy +, sw Russia +  and s Spain). +
0–20 m +
Coastal brackish and fresh marshes +
Flowering late summer, sometimes winter–spring in Florida. +
Kosteletzkya althaeifolia +, K. pentacarpos var. smilacifolia +, K. smilacifolia +, K. virginica +, K. virginica var. althaeifolia +  and K. virginica var. aquilonia +
Kosteletzkya pentacarpos +
Kosteletzkya +
species +