Sida.] 



XXV. MALVACEAE (MASTERS). 181 



reticulate, with 2 short awns, and bursting irregularly toward the base.— 

 *->cabra, Schum. et Thonn. PI. Guin. 305. S. alba, Linn. Sp. 960. S. alni- 

 foha, Linn. Sp. 960. 



Upper Guinea, Thonning. 



Nile Land. Nubia, Kotschy ! White Nile, Petherick! Abyssinia, Schweinfurth I 

 Unyoro, Speke and Grant! 



Lower Guinea. Congo, Smith ! 



Wozamb. Distr. Semiar, Dr. Kirk ! 



A common tropical weed much resembling some of the forms of S. rhombifolia, but 

 oistinguishable by the smaller number of carpels. The hooked spine from which the plant 

 derives its name is not always present. 



8. S. cordifolia, Linn.; DC. Prod. i. 461. Perennial with an erect 

 I cylindrical stem, 4-5 ft. high, dividing into a few obliquely ascending 

 branches. Leaves stalked, oblong-obtuse, very downy on both sides, crenate 

 | at th e margins, 1^-2 in. long, 1-1 \ in. broad. Petiole equal to the blade, 

 stipules minute, linear, hairy, half the length of the petiole. Flowers small, 

 yellow, the lower ones on long axillary stalks, the upper ones nearly sessile 

 and aggregated together at the end of the stem and branches so as to form 

 a dense panicle. Calyx globose, 10-ribbed, 5-cleft ; segments triangular, 

 downy. Petals yellow, twice the length of the sepals. Carpels 10 in a 

 w "Orl, each three-sided ; back furrowed, sides with a raised network of 

 veins ; apex prolonged into long erect awns covered with reflected hairs and 

 projecting beyond the persistent calyx.— S. althmifolia, Swartz, Guill. et Perr. 

 *h Seneg. i. "73. s. africana, Beauv. Fl. Owar. ii. 87. S. decagyna, Schum. 

 e t Thonn. PI. Guin. 307. 



Upper Guinea. Niger, Barter! W. Africa, Don! Senegambia, Perrotiet ! Vogel ! 

 ^apeCoast, T. Vogel! 



Nile Land. White Nile, Petherick ! Nubia, Kotschy I Speke and Grant ! 



tower Guinea. Congo, Burton ! m _ 



Wozamb. Diatr. Shamo, Dr. Kirk ! Lower Shire Valley, Dr. Meller .' Zanzibar, 

 Uoutonl Mozambique, Forbes! 



A common tropical weed found also at the Cape, in Natal, and Mauritius. It has had a 

 wparate name at the hands of almost every collector or botanist. Only those referring 

 10 Africa are above cited. 



9 - S. rhombifolia, Linn.; DC. Prod. i. 462. A much-branched 

 rarely glabrous perennial, varying much in stature and form of leaf. Leaf- 

 stalks short. Leaves ovate or lanceolate, usually cuneate at the base, some- 

 J m es rounded, slightly serrated, smooth above, more or less downy beneath^ 

 powers solitary, on lon<r, axillarv, jointed stalks or clustered at the ends ot 

 «« branches. Calvx 10-ribbed, 5-cleft ; segments deltoid or acuminate. 

 Wels 9-lfj, sm0 oth or slightly reticulate, shortly bi-aristate, rarely nrnti- 

 JJ», opening by a small chink at the top.-S. riparia, Hochst. 1 1. Sclump. 

 Ab vss. s. ostrt/afolia, Webb, Frag. Fl. Mthio?. 49. 

 p ^PPer Guinea. St. Thomas, Don ! Niger, Barter ! fogel ! Senegambia, Eeudeht ! 



J*ile Land. White Nile, Petherick! Unyoro, Speke and Grant I 

 , ow » Guinea. Congo, Smith ! ... ,, , j^^w v\„ 



n , A very variable plant, widely diffused throughout the trop.es. Webb, 1 c. de c.ibe, 1 s 

 P,ant ^ having onc-awned indehisccnt carpels • probably merely an accidental occurrence, a, 



