Kathi mdgd and rhizo 1, thank you both for trying to help! I am probably one of the few without a digital camera or a phone cam. I totally agree that my description is probably not very clear, especially since I am a newbie and am not probably using the correct terminology. Today, it looks like the plant may have died. So, I've put a new post asking for suggestions of what to plant with my brown gardening thumb.

It's called whitefly... a nasty parasite that loves hibiscus. The only thing to do is spray constantly, a systemic pesticide is best. Oil based sprays are probably effective too but don't last long. Spray often. If you don't spray your entire plant will have wisps of whlte cottony stuff all over it. I hate whitefly .... but it can be beaten. Is it what is in this link to pictures with whitefly? https://www.google.com/search?q=whitefly+on+hibiscus+image&client=palemoon&rls=Palemoon:en-US&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=4ObdU6CbKMz1oASgmoDYAQ&ved=0CB4QsAQ&biw=1536&bih=665 good luck. Mike

In general, if you have decent air circulation and remove the plastic for an hour a day to air the flats out, that seems to prevent the fungus. This will cause them to dry out more quickly, so mist them often enough to keep the soil uniformly moist. To reduce the need for airing-out, you can punch small holes every few inches in the plastic. This is especially helpful for seeds that require cooler germination temperatures, or if you can't tend them daily. To start out your seed-starting mix should be as damp as a wrung-out sponge; if it's soggy that causes both fungus and rot. Rather than sowing directly into trays, sow into flats (cell inserts) or small (2") pots that have drainage, and never let water pool in the trays. Once the plants germinate, remove the plastic and place plastic grids or pebbles under the flats to hold runoff from watering (the seedlings should never have "wet feet"), which also helps supply humidity. Begin fertilizing mildly when the seedlings have a few pairs of true leaves. If your basement is dank, you may want to open a window (though not one that will expose the trays to cold drafts) or position a floor fan to bring in fresher air from upstairs.

How should I get rid of it? Also, it is appearing on the stems as well, if that makes a difference. My plant is looking rather unhealthy and is not showing much new growth.