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7th Grade Flowers

 

The Tropical Hibiscus

The Tropical Hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis), a.k.a. the Chinese Hibiscus, is a subspecies of the Hibiscus family. The Hibiscus family is known for their unique pistils, in that the stigma and stamen are both on the pistil. This helps the pollinator, the hummingbird, get nectar, and for the Hibiscus to distribute its pollen onto the hummingbird's forehead. The Tropical Hibiscus and the hummingbird have a co-evolutionary relationship, or a mutualistic symbiosis, in that the two are in a "win-win" situation (hummingbird gets nectar, hibiscus gets pollinated). The Tropical Hibiscus' reproductive organs include a pistil (style, stigma, ovary/carpel), which is the female reproductive system, and stamen (filament, anther, pollen), which is the male reproductive system. There are about 18 eggs in the Tropical Hibiscus' ovary,and about 25 stamen on the pistil. The Tropical Hibiscus flourishes in mainly tropical places including all of the Hawaiian islands, the tropical regions of South America, the southern region of California, and other warm rural areas. Also, the Tropical Hibiscus has more than twenty-two varieties within this subspecies; some of these varieties including names like "White Wings", "Crown of Bohemia", "Hula Girl", "American Beauty", and "Agnes Galt".

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