HlblSCUS.] XXV. MALVACEiE (MASTERS). 197 



J Corolla yellow with a purple centre. Styles 5. Fruit roundish, of 5 mem- 

 branous carpels provided with membranous wings. Seeds 1 in each cell.— 

 Pavonia d'ictyocarpa, Hochst. in Sched. Kotsch. It. Nub. n. 124. 



Nile Land. Ethiopia and Nubia, Kotschy ! 



This has more the habit of Pavonia than of Hibiscus, but it has only 5 styles. 



3. H. vitifolius, Linn. ; DC. Prod. i. 450. A tall, much-branched 

 herb, villose hispid or even aculeate. Leaves on long stalks, cordate, roundish, 

 often deeply pahnately 3-5-lobed ; lobes oblong or lanceolate, rarely acumi- 

 nate, coarsely serrate, nearly smooth, or at other times tomentose and villose, 

 central lobe longest. Peduncles solitary, axillary, 1 -flowered, shorter than 

 the petioles, jointed in the middle and often crowded at the ends of the 

 branches, so as to form a leafy cluster. Epicalyx of 8-12 distinct, linear, 

 subulate or filiform segments, shorter than the bell-shaped, 5-cleft calyx, the 

 lobes of which latter are broadly lanceolate, 3-5-nerved, and pubescent. 

 Corolla 1-2 in. in length, more than twice the size of the calyx, yellow with a 

 purplish spot. Capsule shorter than the calyx, roundish, depressed, beaked, 

 its 5 valves pergamentaceous, nervose, reticulate, villose, and extended at the 

 edges into foliaeeous wings. Seeds tuberculate. — //. st/igosus, Schum. et 

 Thonn. PI. Guin. 314. //. jatrophafolitis, Kich. Fl. Abyss, i. 53. //. mo- 

 dalicus, Hochst.; Rich. FI. Abyss, i. 56. H. obscurm, Rich. Fl. Abvss. 

 i. 57. 



Upper Guinea. Cape Const, T. Vogel ! Quorra, Baikie ! 



Nile Land. Soturba, Sckweinfurth I Abyssinia, Salt! Ehrenbery ! Schimper ! Petit! 



Lower Guinea. Congo, Smith ! Burton ! 



Mozamb. Distr. Zambesi, Tette, Dr. Kirk ! 



This plant has a wide geographical range, being found in India and Australia, as well as 

 in Africa. It is readily recognized by the capsular wings. The Abvssinian specimens only 

 differ in the more deeply -lobcd leaves and the shallower wings to the fruit. The hairiness 

 of the surface is subject to great variations. 



4. H. lepidospermus, Mast. An undershrub, the herbaceous por- 

 tions covered with tine down. Leaves on very short stalks, linear-lanceolate, 

 denticulate, downy on both surfaces, 4-6 in. long. Stipules linear, persis- 

 tent, as long as the petioles, ciliated at the margins. Peduncles solitary, 

 axillary, 1 -flowered, thickened upwards, as long as or longer than the petioles. 

 Epicalyx of 10 linear ciliolate segments, distinct at the base, half the length 

 °f the cup-shaped 5-parted calyx. Calyx-lobes subulate or acuminate, 

 covered with coarse bristly hairs* 3-nerved, 1-glandulose. Corolla yellow, 

 2 ~3 in. diam., twice the size of the calyx. Capsule oblong, obtuse, as long 

 83 the calyx, its 5 valves hispid, obtuse. Seeds numerous, covered with 

 quadrangular projecting scales, often revolute at the free margin. 



Upper Guinea. Niger, Barter ! 



A very distinct species, recognizable by its leaves and curious scaly seeds. It was dis- 

 covered in swampy situations near the Niger. 



5. H. obtusilobus, Garcke in Bot. Zeit. 1849, p. 837 ; Walp. Jmt.il 

 l4 <L Stem herbaceous, 18 in. in height, branched glabrous or covered with 

 stellate hairs. Petioles 1-4 in. long, shorter than the leaves, which are cor- 

 date ovate-oblong or more or less deeply 3-5-lobed ; lobes oblong obtuse, 

 undulate-crenate, subscabrous, with a few stellate hairs, central lobe longest. 



