Hibiscus rosa-sinensis L. (Malvaceae) is the tropics' most iconic flower, prominent in art, fashion, decoration and medicine. However, it has never been found growing in the wild and its origins are perplexing. Carl Linnaeus named Hibiscus rosa-sinensis in 1753, basing his description on plants with bright red, double flowers in cultivation in India, Sri Lanka and Indonesia. Its postulated origins have included China, southeast and south Asia, Indian Ocean islands, East Africa and the Americas. In 1769, Joseph Banks and Daniel Solander made collections of a red, double-flowered hibiscus growing in gardens in the Society Islands, eastern Polynesia. Polynesians refer to this hibiscus as kaute or cognate names; it was long considered a pre-European introduction to the South Pacific islands from Asia and to be conspecific with H. rosa-sinensis. Recent linguistic and botanical studies have shown kaute to be a critically endangered new species, H. kaute L.A.J. Thomson & Butaud. In pre-European times, Polynesians domesticated H. kaute and apparently took it westwards across the South Pacific Ocean, in traditional canoes sailing over distances of more than 5,000 km, demonstrating its importance in Polynesian culture and medicine. The related spectacular, variegated Hibiscus cooperi J.J. Veitch was described from cultivation in Britain in 1863. In 2020 H. cooperi was shown to be native to Erromango Island, Vanuatu. Molecular and leaf morphological data reveal that Hibiscus × rosa-sinensis is a pre-historic hybrid between H. kaute and H. cooperi; two species whose natural ranges are separated by more than 4,000 km of Pacific Ocean. This cross produces hybrid offspring with an array of petal colours and floral forms but with generally uniform foliage intermediate between the parental species. As a nothospecies (hybrid species), its correct scientific name is to be rendered as Hibiscus × rosa-sinensis.