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Service Notice

The Western Australian Herbarium’s collections management system and census were set to read-only mode on 1 October 2025. Taxonomic updates published since this time are not being reflected in Florabase, herbarium collections, or Western Australia’s taxonomic names census (Nomos). Conservation listings displayed on Florabase may also be out of date. Please refer to DBCA’s Threatened species and communities webpage for the most recent Threatened and Priority Flora List, noting that recent taxonomic updates are similarly not included. Our database migration is moving to a staging phase. We thank you for your patience as we ensure the integrity of our biodiversity data, develop new workflows, and train staff to use the new systems. Please reach out to us if you have any questions or concerns.

The notice period started at 12:00 pm on Wednesday, 1 October 2025 +08:00 and will end at 12:00 pm on Friday, 1 January 2027 +08:00.

Hibiscus sturtii Hook.
Sturt's Hibiscus

Reference
T.Mitch., J.Exped.Trop.Australia 363 (1848)
Conservation Code
Not threatened
Naturalised Status
Native to Western Australia
Name Status
Current

Shrub, 0.15-3 m high. Fl. blue-purple/pink/yellow-cream, Jan to Dec. Variety of soils. Variety of habitats.

Amanda Spooner, Descriptive Catalogue, 10 September 1999

Scientific Description

Herb or shrub. Stems hairy. Leaves 35-110 mm long, 18-35 mm wide, not lobed; margins entire or crenate; indumentum present, with stellate hairs; stipules present and persistent to older leaves, 30 mm long. Perianth clearly of two whorls (calyx and corolla), the corolla obvious and prominent. Pedicel present, 13 mm long; indumentum present, with stellate hairs. Epicalyx (extra segments or 'bracteoles' immediately below the calyx) present, 12 mm long, the lobes free, indumentum present, stellate hairs present. Calyx green, 15 mm long, the lobes fused less than half their length, simple hairs (without tubercle bases) present, stellate hairs present. Corolla pink or purple, 35 mm long, glabrous. Indumentum (outside) Sessile glands absent. Stamens many, united and arising from a staminal tube around the style; filaments present, 0.6 mm long; anthers 0.6 mm long. Ovary hairs and scales absent (ovary quite glabrous); style 1, 17 mm long, with five style branches or lobes, mostly glabrous. Fruits dehiscent (capsules and follicles), length-width ratio more or less as long as wide, hairs or scales present, simple hairs (without tubercle bases) present; apex rounded; calyx persistent to mature fruit, 18-20 mm long, accrescent; seeds per loculus 2-4. Flowering time January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November or December. Distribution Botanical Province Eremaean, IBRA Bioregion Pilbara, Carnarvon, Gascoyne, Little Sandy Desert, Gibson Desert, Central Ranges, Murchison or Great Victorian Desert.

C. Hollister and K.R. Thiele, 11 August 2023

Distribution

IBRA Regions
Carnarvon, Central Kimberley, Central Ranges, Coolgardie, Dampierland, Gascoyne, Gibson Desert, Great Sandy Desert, Great Victoria Desert, Little Sandy Desert, Murchison, Ord Victoria Plain, Pilbara, Tanami, Yalgoo.
IBRA Subregions
Ashburton, Augustus, Cape Range, Carnegie, Central, Chichester, Eastern Goldfield, Eastern Murchison, Edel, Fitzroy Trough, Fortescue, Hamersley, Hart, Lateritic Plain, Mackay, Mann-Musgrave Block, McLarty, Pindanland, Purnululu, Roebourne, Rudall, Tanami Desert, Trainor, Western Murchison, Wooramel.
IMCRA Regions
Ningaloo, Shark Bay.
Local Government Areas (LGAs)
Ashburton, Broome, Carnarvon, Cue, Derby-West Kimberley, East Pilbara, Exmouth, Halls Creek, Kalgoorlie-Boulder, Karratha, Laverton, Meekatharra, Murchison, Ngaanyatjarraku, Port Hedland, Sandstone, Shark Bay, Upper Gascoyne, Wiluna.