Hibiscus pusillus lower leaves

The simple, basal leaves of Hibiscus pusillus seen here are alternate.

They may be quite roundly ovate as these are, but sometimes narrower or three-lobed almost to the base as if trifoliolate, or even five-lobed. The leaf margins are toothed, the teeth often sharply pointed and sometimes uneven in size. Leaf dimensions are up to 3 cm long and 1,5 cm wide.

The surfaces are usually coarse and hard, hairy or hairless. The ones in picture are hairy along their margins, somewhat hairy along the veins and very sparsely elsewhere.

The petioles are up to 1,5 cm long (Curtis-Scott, et al, 2020; Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2015; Manning, 2009; Pooley, 1998; Van Wyk and Malan, 1997; Gledhill, 1981; iNaturalist).