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Section Lilibiscus is a small section of the genus Hibiscus, which is nested in section Bombicella, where Hibiscus peralbus may be the sister group.[1] It contains 20-30 species, native to the Indian and Pacific Ocean areas.
Section Lilibiscus was introduced by Hochreutiner in his 1900 monograph of the genus. The sectional name is there stated to be a blend of Lilium and Hibiscus..
The origin of the best known species of the section, Hibiscus rosa-sinensis, has long been unclear, but a recent paper identifies is as a hybrid between two Pacific species - Hibiscus cooperi from Vanuatu and Hibiscus kaute from Eastern Polynesia.. It grows wild in many regions, including China and India, where it is presumably an escape from cultivation [