On Fioria vitifolia (L.) Mattei

In his revision of the genus Hibiscus, Hochreutiner (1900) included three species, H. vitifolius L., H. dictyocarpus (Hochst.) Webb, and H. purpureus Forsk. in section Pterocarpus Garcke. On the basis of the structural peculiarities of the 5-angular, alate, scarious, oligospermous capsules present in H. vitifolius, H. dictyocarpus and H. pavonioides, Mattei (1917) established a new genus Fioria. Although agreeing that the nature of the fruit in Fioria is strikingly different from that of any typical Hibiscus sp., Hochreuliner (1924) did not accept Fioria as a distinct genus. From his study of the conspicuous, scarious, strongly veined wings of H. vitifolius, Kearney (1955) justified the maintenance of Fioria as a distinct genus. Brenan and Exell (1958) did not accept it. In a detailed study of 80 specimens of H. vitifolius from different parts of India and abroad, several other distinguishing characteristics, in addit' on to those of the wings of fruit, have been observed, which justify retaining Fiona as a genus distinct from Hibiscus.