1. shrubby tree widely distributed along tropical shores; yields a light tough wood used for canoe outriggers and a fiber used for cordage and caulk; often cultivated for ornament • Syn: mahoe, mahagua, balibago, purau, Hibiscus tiliaceus • Hypernyms: hibiscus 2. erect forest tree of Cuba and Jamaica having variably hairy leaves and orange-yellow or orange-red flowers; yields a moderately dense timber for cabinetwork and gunstocks • Syn: Cuban bast, blue mahoe, mahoe, mahagua, Hibiscus elatus • Hypernyms: hibiscus
