Cotton Rose

Cotton rose is native to South-East China, but it was domesticated a long time ago. The plant is harvested from the wild mainly as a medicinal plant and source of fibre. It is now cultivated throughout the world and has occasionally become naturalized elsewhere, such as in Japan.

Thul padma (Bengali), Shan fu rong (Chinese), Shoubak (Creole), Fuyoo (Japanese), Bu yong (Korean), Rosa algodon (Spanish), Phuttan (Thai), Amapola (Tagalog-Philippines).

Hibiscus mutabilis prefers a well-drained humus-rich fertile soil in full sun. It grows at 1-900 m asl and prefers warm but wet winter. It is widely cultivated in tropical and occasionally in temperate areas as an ornamental plant, there are many named varieties. Suitable in acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils.

• Stem - erect, branched bushy shrub or small tree, about 2 to 4 m high, densely covered with short, grayish, stellar hairs.
• Leaves - broadly ovate to orbicular ovate, 5- lobed or 5-angled, 7 to 20 cm long, with 5 oblong-ovate lobes, connate below.
• Corolla - single or double, 10-12 cm in diameter.
• Flowers - opening pale pink or nearly white, growing darker in color as the day advances.

• Propagated generatively by seeds that are sown in-situ or containers. Germination is usually quite rapid. Prick out container-grown seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and plant them out into their permanent positions when they are 10 cm or taller.
• Propagated vegetatively by cutting of half-ripe wood in a frame, and by root offshoots separation.

Naringenin-5,7-dimethyl ether, 4'-β-Dxylopyranosyl-β-D-arabinopyranoside, eriodictyol, quercetin, quercemeritrine, iso quercetin, meratrin, hybridin, kaempferol, hyperin, guaijaverin, cyanidine-3- monoglucoside, hibiscones, hibiscoquinones, βsitosterol, β-carotene, and salicylic acid.

Its reported pharmacological activities include antiproliferative, antioxidant, anti-tyrosinase, antidiabetic, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory properties; as well as anodyne, antidote, demulcent, expectorant and cooling (leaves), and emollient and febrifuge, depurative, stimulant (flowers).

• In China, the leaves are used as famine food, boiled, then eaten with oil and salt. Leaves are used for treating tuberculous lymphadenitis, and the flowers for treating nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
• Flowers and leaves are used in treating all kinds of poison and applied to swellings and skin infections.
• Decoction of flowers is considered pectoral; used for lung ailments.
• Infusion of flowers is used for chest and pulmonary complaints.

• Siapkan daun segar, cuci bersih dengan air mengalir.
• Keringkan daun dengan dijemur di bawah pelindung hingga kadar air kurang dari 10%.
• Setelah kering, haluskan daun untuk dijadikan serbuk.
• Simpan dalam wadah bersih dan kedap udara.