item details
Walter Fitch; artist; 1865-73; London
Lovell Reeve; publisher; 1865-73; London
Overview
Plate 4 of 100 from Berthold Seemann's book Flora vitiensis: a description of the plants of the Viti or Fiji Islands with an account of their history, uses and properties (1865-73). The hand-coloured lithograph illustration by Walter Hood Fitch showcases different parts of the Hibiscus Storckii Seem. plant, such as the seed, fruit and various stages of the flower. This species of hibiscus is extremely rare and endemic to Fiji.
The descriptive text written by Seemann for this illustration can be found on page 17 of the book, and it reads:
2. H. (Ketmia) Storckii, Seem. in Bonplandia, vol. ix. p. 254. sp. nov. (Tab. IV.) ; fruti-cosus, inermis; foliis ellipticis v. ovato-ellipticis acuminatis integerrimis v. versus apicem serratis 3-nerviis utrinque glabris; petiolis pedunculis bracteolis calycibusque puberulis ; bracteolis 10 line-aribus acutis, laciniis calycis ovato-triangularibus acutis; petalis obovatis (roseis) extus puberulis, ovario apice glanduloso-puberulo.— Nomen vernac. "Sequelu."—Somosomo, Island of Tayiuni (See- mann! n. 23), growing as underwood like the allied H. Genevii, Bojer ; rare.
This is closely allied to H. Rosa-sinensis, but I think sufficiently distinct to entitle it to the rank of species. Unfortunately my specimens are not so complete as could be wished, and so prevent a thorough comparison with its nearest ally. I have never seen it cultivated; it is a more straggling shrub than H. Rosa-sinensis. The leaves are always more elliptical and less deeply cut on the margin, the segments of the calyx are also somewhat differently shaped, and I have never observed a variety of H. Rosa-sinensis with such fine pink-coloured petals. I have named it in honour of my able assistant, Mr. J. Storck, who was with me when we first found it.
Plate IV., Fig. 1, bracts and calyx; 2, ovary, with style cut off; 3 and 4, sections of ovary,—all slightly magnified.