Taxon: Thespesia populnea (L.) Sol. ex Corrêa

Summary

Genus:

Thespesia

Family:

Malvaceae

Subfamily:

Malvoideae

Tribe:

Gossypieae

Nomen number:

36526

Place of publication:

Ann. Mus. Hist. Nat. 9:290. 1807

Verified:

11/29/2007 ARS Systematic Botanists.

Accessions:

10 (0 active, 0 available) in National Plant Germplasm System. (Map it)

Other conspecific taxa

Autonyms (not in current use), synonyms and invalid designations

Basionym
Hibiscus populneus L.

Heterotypic Synonym(s)
Hibiscus populneoides Roxb.
Thespesia macrophylla Blume
Thespesia populneoides (Roxb.) Kostel.

Images (1 total. Click on image for more.)

Conservation Status

Reference(s)

University of Georgia Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health
PROTABASE, the information base of PROTA (Plant Resources of Tropical Africa) (on-line resource).
Acevedo-Rodríguez, P. et al. 1996. Flora of St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 78:1-581.
Adams, C. 1972. Flowering plants of Jamaica
APHIS. Agricultural Risk Management System United States Department of Agriculture.
Bosser, J. M. et al., eds. 1976-. Flores des Mascareignes.
Correll, D. S. & H. B. Correll. 1982. Flora of the Bahama archipelago.
Dale, I. R. & P. J. Greenway. 1961. Kenya trees & shrubs.
Dassanayake, M. D. & F. R. Fosberg, eds. 1980-. A revised handbook to the flora of Ceylon.
Elevitch, C. R., ed. The traditional tree initiative: species profiles for Pacific Island agroforestry (on-line resource). Note:
- Permanent Agriculture Resources (PAR), Holualoa, Hawai'i
- http://www.traditionaltree.org/
Encke, F. et al. 1984. Zander: Handwörterbuch der Pflanzennamen, 13. Auflage
Erhardt, W. et al. 2008. Der große Zander: Enzyklopädie der Pflanzennamen
Exell, A. W. et al., eds. 1960-. Flora zambesiaca.
Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds. 1997. Auxiliary plants. In: Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds., Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA) 11:251-252.
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). 2010. Ecocrop (on-line resource).
Fryxell, P. A. 1979. The natural history of the cotton tribe 86.
Fryxell, P. A. 1988. Malvaceae of Mexico. Syst. Bot. Monogr. 25:441-443.
Groth, D. 2005. pers. comm. Note: re. Brazilian common names
Hedberg, I. & S. Edwards. 1989-. Flora of Ethiopia Note: Eritrea added in 2000
Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles.
Humbert, J.-H., ed. 1936-. Flore de Madagascar et des Comores.
Huxley, A., ed. 1992. The new Royal Horticultural Society dictionary of gardening
Integrated Botanical Information System (IBIS). Australian plant common name database (on-line resource).
Iwatsuki, K. et al. 1993-. Flora of Japan.
Jardín Botánico Nacional. 1998-. Flora de la República de Cuba
Keay, R. W. J. & F. N. Hepper. 1953-1972. Flora of west tropical Africa, ed. 2.
Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. Hortus third. A concise dictionary of plants cultivated in the United States and Canada
Liogier, H. A. 1984-. Descriptive flora of Puerto Rico and adjacent islands.
Luna, R. K. 1996. Plantation trees. International Book Distributors, Dehra Dun, India.
Matthew, K. M. 1983. The flora of the Tamilnadu Carnatic.
Nasir, E. & S. I. Ali, eds. 1970-. Flora of [West] Pakistan.
Paul, T. K. & M. P. Nayar. 1988. Malvaceae. In: Botanical Survey of India, Fascicles of flora of India. 19:225-226.
Proctor, G. R. 1984. Flora of the Cayman Islands. Kew Bulletin Additional Series XI.
Sharma, B. D. et al., eds. 1993-. Flora of India.
Stevens, W. D. et al., eds. 2001. Flora de Nicaragua. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 85(1-3).
Thulin, M., ed. 1993-. Flora of Somalia.
Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa.
Weber, E. 2003. Invasive plant species of the world: a reference guide to environmental weeds
Woodson, R. E. & R. W. Schery, eds. 1943-1980. Flora of Panama.
Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1961. Webster's third new international dictionary.

Common names

Language	Name	seq	Citation
English	bendytree	1	1961. Webster's third new international dictionary.
English	corktree	1	1961. Webster's third new international dictionary.
English	Indian tuliptree	1	PROTABASE, the information base of PROTA (Plant Resources of Tropical Africa) (on-line resource).
English	milo	1	Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds. 1997. Auxiliary plants. In: Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds., Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA) 11:251-252.
English	Pacific rosewood	1	Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds. 1997. Auxiliary plants. In: Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds., Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA) 11:251-252.
English	Polynesian rosewood	1	PROTABASE, the information base of PROTA (Plant Resources of Tropical Africa) (on-line resource).
English	porlia-tree	1	Integrated Botanical Information System (IBIS). Australian plant common name database (on-line resource).
English	portia-tree	1	Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. Hortus third. A concise dictionary of plants cultivated in the United States and Canada
English	seaside mahoe	1	1961. Webster's third new international dictionary.
English	Seychelles rosewood	1	PROTABASE, the information base of PROTA (Plant Resources of Tropical Africa) (on-line resource).
English	tuliptree	1	1961. Webster's third new international dictionary.
English	umbrella-tree	1	PROTABASE, the information base of PROTA (Plant Resources of Tropical Africa) (on-line resource).
French	arbre ombrelle	2	PROTABASE, the information base of PROTA (Plant Resources of Tropical Africa) (on-line resource).
French	bois de rose d'Océanie	2	PROTABASE, the information base of PROTA (Plant Resources of Tropical Africa) (on-line resource).
French	kalfata	2	PROTABASE, the information base of PROTA (Plant Resources of Tropical Africa) (on-line resource).
French	motel debou	2	PROTABASE, the information base of PROTA (Plant Resources of Tropical Africa) (on-line resource).
French	porché	2	PROTABASE, the information base of PROTA (Plant Resources of Tropical Africa) (on-line resource).
German	Küsten-Tropeneibisch	2	Erhardt, W. et al. 2008. Der große Zander: Enzyklopädie der Pflanzennamen
Portuguese	bela-sombra	2	PROTABASE, the information base of PROTA (Plant Resources of Tropical Africa) (on-line resource).
Portuguese	pau-rosa	2	PROTABASE, the information base of PROTA (Plant Resources of Tropical Africa) (on-line resource).
Portuguese (Brazil)	tespésia	2	Groth, D. 2005. pers. comm. Note: re. Brazilian common names
Swahili	mtakawa	2	PROTABASE, the information base of PROTA (Plant Resources of Tropical Africa) (on-line resource).
Transcribed Chinese	tong mian	2	Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).

Distribution

order_code	Status	Continent	Subcontinent	Country	State	Note	Reference
1	Native	Africa	East Tropical Africa	Kenya			Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa.
1	Native	Africa	East Tropical Africa	Tanzania			Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa.
1	Native	Africa	Northeast Tropical Africa	Eritrea			Hedberg, I. & S. Edwards. 1989-. Flora of Ethiopia Note: Eritrea added in 2000
1	Native	Africa	Northeast Tropical Africa	Somalia			Thulin, M., ed. 1993-. Flora of Somalia.
1	Native	Africa	South Tropical Africa	Mozambique			Exell, A. W. et al., eds. 1960-. Flora zambesiaca.
1	Native	Africa	West Tropical Africa	Benin			Keay, R. W. J. & F. N. Hepper. 1953-1972. Flora of west tropical Africa, ed. 2.
1	Native	Africa	West Tropical Africa	Ghana			Keay, R. W. J. & F. N. Hepper. 1953-1972. Flora of west tropical Africa, ed. 2.
1	Native	Africa	West Tropical Africa	Nigeria
1	Native	Africa	West Tropical Africa	Senegal			Keay, R. W. J. & F. N. Hepper. 1953-1972. Flora of west tropical Africa, ed. 2.
1	Native	Africa	West Tropical Africa	Togo			Keay, R. W. J. & F. N. Hepper. 1953-1972. Flora of west tropical Africa, ed. 2.
1	Native	Africa	Western Indian Ocean	Comoros
1	Native	Africa	Western Indian Ocean	Madagascar			Humbert, J.-H., ed. 1936-. Flore de Madagascar et des Comores.
1	Native	Africa	Western Indian Ocean	Mauritius			Bosser, J. M. et al., eds. 1976-. Flores des Mascareignes.
1	Native	Africa	Western Indian Ocean	Reunion			Bosser, J. M. et al., eds. 1976-. Flores des Mascareignes.
1	Native	Africa	Western Indian Ocean	Seychelles
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Guangdong Sheng		Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Hainan Sheng		Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Eastern Asia	Japan	Ryukyu Islands		Iwatsuki, K. et al. 1993-. Flora of Japan.
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Eastern Asia	Taiwan			Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Indian Subcontinent	India		coasts	Sharma, B. D. et al., eds. 1993-. Flora of India.
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Indian Subcontinent	Maldives
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Indian Subcontinent	Sri Lanka			Dassanayake, M. D. & F. R. Fosberg, eds. 1980-. A revised handbook to the flora of Ceylon.
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Indo-China	Cambodia
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Indo-China	India	Andaman and Nicobar Islands		Sharma, B. D. et al., eds. 1993-. Flora of India.
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Indo-China	Myanmar
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Indo-China	Thailand			Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Indo-China	Vietnam			Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Malesia	Indonesia
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Malesia	Malaysia
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Malesia	Philippines
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Papuasia	Papua New Guinea
1	Native	Australasia	Australia	Australia	Northern Territory	n.
1	Native	Australasia	Australia	Australia	Queensland	n.
1	Native	Australasia	Australia	Australia	Western Australia	n.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Quintana Roo
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Yucatán
1	Native	Pacific	Northwestern Pacific	Micronesia
1	Native	Pacific	South-Central Pacific	French Polynesia
1	Native	Pacific	Southwestern Pacific	Fiji
1	Native	Pacific	Southwestern Pacific	Vanuatu
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Antigua and Barbuda			Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles.
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Bahamas			Correll, D. S. & H. B. Correll. 1982. Flora of the Bahama archipelago.
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Barbados			Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles.
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Bermuda
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Cayman Islands			Proctor, G. R. 1984. Flora of the Cayman Islands. Kew Bulletin Additional Series XI.
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Cuba			Jardín Botánico Nacional. 1998-. Flora de la República de Cuba
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Dominica			Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles.
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Grenada			Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles.
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Guadeloupe			Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles.
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Hispaniola
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Jamaica			Adams, C. 1972. Flowering plants of Jamaica
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Martinique			Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles.
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Montserrat			Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles.
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Netherlands Antilles
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	St. Kitts and Nevis			Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles.
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	St. Lucia			Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles.
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	St. Vincent and Grenadines			Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles.
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	United States	Puerto Rico		Liogier, H. A. 1984-. Descriptive flora of Puerto Rico and adjacent islands.
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	United States	Virgin Islands, U.S.		Acevedo-Rodríguez, P. et al. 1996. Flora of St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 78:1-581.
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Virgin Islands (British)			Acevedo-Rodríguez, P. et al. 1996. Flora of St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 78:1-581.
1	Native	Southern America	Central America	Costa Rica
1	Native	Southern America	Central America	Honduras
1	Native	Southern America	Central America	Nicaragua			Stevens, W. D. et al., eds. 2001. Flora de Nicaragua. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 85(1-3).
1	Native	Southern America	Central America	Panama			Woodson, R. E. & R. W. Schery, eds. 1943-1980. Flora of Panama.
1	Native	Southern America	Northern South America	Venezuela	Falcón
1	Native	Southern America	Western South America	Colombia
2	Cultivated					widely cult. in tropics

Native
Africa

NORTHEAST TROPICAL AFRICA: Eritrea, Somalia
EAST TROPICAL AFRICA: Kenya, Tanzania
WEST TROPICAL AFRICA: Benin, Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, Togo
SOUTH TROPICAL AFRICA: Mozambique
WESTERN INDIAN OCEAN: Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, Reunion, Seychelles

Asia-Temperate

CHINA: China [Guangdong Sheng, Hainan Sheng]
EASTERN ASIA: Japan [Ryukyu Islands], Taiwan

Asia-Tropical

INDIAN SUBCONTINENT: India (coasts), Sri Lanka, Maldives
PAPUASIA: Papua New Guinea
INDO-CHINA: India [Andaman and Nicobar Islands], Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam
MALESIA: Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines

Australasia

AUSTRALIA: Australia [Queensland (n.), Western Australia (n.), Northern Territory (n.)]

Northern America

SOUTHERN MEXICO: Mexico [Quintana Roo, Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave, Yucatán]

Pacific

NORTHWESTERN PACIFIC: Micronesia
SOUTH-CENTRAL PACIFIC: French Polynesia
SOUTHWESTERN PACIFIC: Fiji, Vanuatu

Southern America

CARIBBEAN: Hispaniola, Netherlands Antilles, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Bermuda, Barbados, Cuba, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Guadeloupe, Grenada, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, Montserrat, Martinique, United States [Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, U.S.], St. Vincent and Grenadines, Virgin Islands (British)
CENTRAL AMERICA: Costa Rica, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama
NORTHERN SOUTH AMERICA: Venezuela [Falcón]
WESTERN SOUTH AMERICA: Colombia

Cultivated (widely cult. in tropics)

Reference(s)

Acevedo-Rodríguez, P. et al. 1996. Flora of St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 78:1-581.
Adams, C. 1972. Flowering plants of Jamaica
Bosser, J. M. et al., eds. 1976-. Flores des Mascareignes.
Correll, D. S. & H. B. Correll. 1982. Flora of the Bahama archipelago.
Dassanayake, M. D. & F. R. Fosberg, eds. 1980-. A revised handbook to the flora of Ceylon.
Exell, A. W. et al., eds. 1960-. Flora zambesiaca.
Hedberg, I. & S. Edwards. 1989-. Flora of Ethiopia Note: Eritrea added in 2000
Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles.
Humbert, J.-H., ed. 1936-. Flore de Madagascar et des Comores.
Iwatsuki, K. et al. 1993-. Flora of Japan.
Jardín Botánico Nacional. 1998-. Flora de la República de Cuba
Keay, R. W. J. & F. N. Hepper. 1953-1972. Flora of west tropical Africa, ed. 2.
Liogier, H. A. 1984-. Descriptive flora of Puerto Rico and adjacent islands.
Proctor, G. R. 1984. Flora of the Cayman Islands. Kew Bulletin Additional Series XI.
Sharma, B. D. et al., eds. 1993-. Flora of India.
Stevens, W. D. et al., eds. 2001. Flora de Nicaragua. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 85(1-3).
Thulin, M., ed. 1993-. Flora of Somalia.
Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa.
Woodson, R. E. & R. W. Schery, eds. 1943-1980. Flora of Panama.
Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).

Economic Uses

Usage	Type	Note	Reference
Environmental	erosion control		Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds. 1997. Auxiliary plants. In: Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds., Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA) 11:251-252.
Environmental	ornamental		Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds. 1997. Auxiliary plants. In: Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds., Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA) 11:251-252.
Environmental	shade/shelter		Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds. 1997. Auxiliary plants. In: Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds., Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA) 11:251-252.
Human food	vegetable		Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds. 1997. Auxiliary plants. In: Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds., Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA) 11:251-252.
Materials	fiber	for caulking & rope	Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds. 1997. Auxiliary plants. In: Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds., Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA) 11:251-252.
Materials	tannin/dyestuff	obtained from flowers & fruits	Luna, R. K. 1996. Plantation trees. International Book Distributors, Dehra Dun, India.
Materials	wood		Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds. 1997. Auxiliary plants. In: Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds., Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA) 11:251-252.
Medicines	folklore		Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds. 1997. Auxiliary plants. In: Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds., Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA) 11:251-252.
Social	religious/secular	considered a sacred tree in some Pacific regions	Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds. 1997. Auxiliary plants. In: Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds., Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA) 11:251-252.
Weed			Weber, E. 2003. Invasive plant species of the world: a reference guide to environmental weeds

Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2026. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
URL: https://npgstest.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=36526. Accessed 15 April 2026.