Hibiscus is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae. The genus is quite large, comprising several hundred species that are native to warmtemperate, subtropical and tropical regions throughout the world. The leaves are alternate, ovate to lanceolate, often with a toothed or lobed margin. The flowers are large, conspicuous, trumpetshaped, with five or more petals, colour from white to pink, red, orange, peach, yellow or purple, and from 4–18 cm broad. Hibiscus rosa-sinensis is described as having has a number of medical uses in Chinese herbology.