Coast cottonwood

Coast cottonwood is distributed in coastal areas throughout the tropics of Africa, America, Asia, Australia and the Pacific Islands. The bark fibre is widely used for making cordage and finishing lines and nets, also used for textiles and the bark for making bark cloth. In South-East Asia, the bark fibre is used for caulking boats and the leaves are used for wrapping food.

Purau (French), Malabago (Tagalog-Philippines), Huang jin (Chinese), Baru-baru (Malay), Bolia (India), Bhola (Bangladesh), Hibisco marítimo (Spanish), Yama-asa (Japanese), Kuskatoenboom (Afrikaan).

Hibiscus tiliaceus occurs in coastal regions with an average annual rainfall of 900-2,500 mm, usually near the high tidemark but sometimes at higher altitudes. It is recorded to be fairly tolerant to drought. It is adapted to a wide range of soils, from light to heavy textured ones, acidic to alkaline (pH 5-8.5; optimum: 6-7) and is salt tolerant. It prefers sandy soils rich in organic matter, able to retain moisture.

• Stem - and branches glabrous to densely steelate-pubescent, becoming brown-grey with lenticels.
• Leaves - alternate, simple; stipules lanceolate to narrowly ovate, up to 3.5 cm long, early falling; petiole 6-15 cm long.
• Flowers - interminal 3-6 flowered cymes, bisexual, regular, 5-merous; pedicel 0.5-2 cm long. Corolla- yellow, dark purple at inside base, orbicular-obovate or rounded about 5 cm in length and width.
• Capsules- hairy, ovoid, 1.5 cm long, surrounded by persistent.
• Seeds- reniform, 4 mm x 2 mm, brown.

• By seeds - the seeds germinate 2-4 weeks after sowing in trays.
• By stem cutting - cutting establish in about 4 months, and in dry conditions they should be watered once or twice a week.

Vanillin, syriacusin A, hibiscolactone,fumaric acid, azelaic acid, succinic acid,rutin, stigmasterol, friedelin, pachysandiol,glutinol, lupeol, β-sitosterol, tannins.

• Roots: antitumor activity.
• Barks: diuretic/ laxative.
• Wood: anti-inflammatory.
• Leaves: antiulcer and antioxidant/antimicrobial.
• Flowers: antioxidant/antimutagenic, antidepressant and antidiabetic/hipolipidemic.
• The leaves are used in treating cough and sore throats, they are made into a paste and used as a poultice for sores ,cuts, open wounds, boils and swellings.
• Infusion of leaves is used to aid in the delivery of a child and postpartum discharges.
• An infusion of the bark is injuries, and stomach-aches, the fluid from bark is used to promote menstruation.
• In Fiji, the leaves are wrapped around fractured bones and sprained muscles, the juice from leaves is used in treating gonorrhoea.

• Cuci bersih bunga waru dari kotoran yang menempel dengan air mengalir.
• Letakkan dalam wadah datar yang bersih, beri jarak antar bunga agar tidak menumpuk.
• Jemur di bawah sinar matahari dengan ditutup kain hitam tipis sampai benar-benar kering.
• Simpan bunga waru kering dalam botol kaca bersih lalu tutup rapat dan letakkan pada tempat yang jauh dari panas.