Abstract

Hibiscus schizopetalus (Mast) Hook (Malvaceae) is a shrub with spreading or usually drooping branches, attaining a height up to 13 feet (4 m) and found in east of tropical Africa. It is also a common ornamental shrub cultivated in Pakistan. The pharmacognostic standards for the flower and leaves of H. schizopetalus were done for the first time and this could be useful as quality control parameter in future. The leaves and flower of the plant was studied for standardization, including examination of morphological, anatomical, microscopic characters, histochemical reactions, fluorescence characters and ash values. The morphological studies revealed that flowers are pink to red in color and leaves are green in color with characteristic odour and slight bitter taste. Pulverized samples of leaves and floral parts of the plant treated with different chemical reagents showed the presence of alkaloids, steroids and triterpenoids more prominently. The present investigation has stated important standardization parameters for H. schizopetalus which is a new entry as medicinal aid, providing immense help in authenticating the plant material.

Key words:  Hibiscus schizopetalus (Mast) Hook, pharmacognostic evaluations, fluorescence characters, ash values.