mel turner wrote:
"Malcolm Manners" wrote in message
news:J6%9j.5798$8y4.822@trnddc07...

[snip]

So, I've pretty much ruled out Onagraceae. I thought Loasaceae, but
flower parts in 4s? Sterculiaceae? Something I've not even thought of?

I've posted some pics he
http://www.flickr.com/photos/1023950...7603497109065/


The Sterculiaceae idea is closest.
I think it's one of the genera formerly put in Tiliaceae
[The various "Sterculiaceae" and "Tiliaceae" are now all being
included in an expanded Malvaceae. See Malvales tree in
http://www.mobot.org/MOBOT/Research/APweb/welcome.html ].

Perhaps your plant is a _Grewia_ or _Corchorus_ species, or a
close relative [subfamily Grewioideae], but I didn't see any
close matches.

Spoke too soon;
further Googling suggests it's _Clappertonia ficifolia_:

http://images.google.com/images?q=clappertonia
http://www.botany.hawaii.edu/FACULTY...phylo_malv.htm
http://www.google.com/search?q=clappertonia\

Thanks for the puzzle.

cheers


thanks much, Mel. We grow Grewia occidentalis as well, and it had
occurred to me that there were some similarities, but it has parts in
5s. Looking at the photos, I think you've nailed it with Clappertonia.

Malcolm