176 xxv. malvace^; (masters). 



calyx, furnish good marks of distinction. Mallow-worts are for the most part mucilaginous, 

 many of them supply valuable fibre, while from the seeds of various species of Gossypium, 

 cotton is obtained, which gives the Order a special interest in an economical point of view. 



Tribe I. Malvese. — Staminal column provided with anthers to the top or nearly so. 

 Styles as numerous as the cells of the ovary or as the ripe carpels. Ripe carpels usually 

 seceding from the columella. Cotyledons leafy, usually folded. Herbs or undershrubs. 



Bractlets 3, rarely wanting. 



Stigmas linear 1. Malva. 



Stigmas capitate 2. Malvastkum. 



Bractlets none. 



Carpels either without awns, or if with awns having their points 



erect or indexed. Ovule solitary 3. Sida. 



Carpels awnless or with divergent awns. Ovules usually more than 

 one. 

 Carpels divided into two compartments by a transverse partition 4. Wtssadula. 

 Carpels 1-celled without any transverse partition 5. Abutiion. 



Tribe II. Urenese.— Staminal column destitute of anthers at the summit, which is 

 truncate or ^-toothed. Styles twice as numerous as the cells of the ovary or the carpels. 

 Ripe carpels seceding from the columella. Herbs or undershrubs. 



Flowers in dense heads intermingled with distinct bractlets and sur- 

 rounded by a general involucre 6. Malachra. 



Flower-heads not involucrate. Bractlets connate. Carpels with 



hooked spines 7. Ubena. 



Flowers rarely capitate. Bractlets distinct or connate. Carpels 



awned or muricate, but never with hooked spines 8. Pavonia. 



Tribe III. Hibisceee.— Column usually destitute of anthers at the summit, which 

 latter is either truncate or 5-toolhed. Styles as many as the carpels. Carpels not seced- 

 ing when ripe, but forming a loculicidally dehiscent capsule. Herbs shrubs or trees. 



Style ultimately dividing into stigmatic branches. 

 Capsule 5-celled. Herbs or shrubs. 



Bractlets usually numerous, rarely wanting. Ovary with a single 



seed in each cell. Capsule pentagonal 9. KosTEtETZKYA. 



Bractlets 3, large, cordate, membranous. Cells of ovary bi- 



ovulate 10. Senra. 



Bractlets numerous, rarely wanting. Ovules numerous . . .11. Hibiscus. 

 Style club-shaped at the apex, undivided or nearly so. 

 Bractlets narrow. 



Calyx 5-cleft. Ovary 3-4-celled 12. Fugosia. 



Calyx truncate. Ovary 5-celled 13. Thespesia. 



(See Gossypium anomalum.) 

 Bractlets 3, cordate, broad. Calyx truncate 14. Gossypium. 



Tribe IV. Bombacese.— Staminal column divided at the apex into 5-8 division^ 

 each of which bears one or many anthers, rarefy nearly undivided. Anthers free, rem- 

 form or adnate, globose, linear or anfractuote. Style entire or shortly divided into y 

 many branches as there are cells in the ovary. Carpels combined into a dehiscent capsu 

 or an indehiscent pod. Trees. 



Leaves digitate. Bractlets distinct or none. Cotyledons twisted. 

 Staminal column divided at the apex into numerous filaments. 



Calyx 5-cleft. Fruit indehiscent 15. Auansonia. 



Calyx truncate or nearly so. Fruit dehiscent 16. Bombax. 



Staminal column divided at the apex into 5 divisions 17. EbiodendroN- 



