Hibiscus.] XX v. malvace.® (masters). 207 



as to form an elongated ultimately leafless pseudo-raceme; bractlets 0. 

 talyx bell-shaped, deeply divided into 5 lanceolate 3-nerved segments. 

 Capsule ovoid, beaked, longer than the calyx. Seeds blackish, tuberculate. 

 —Lagunaa lobata, WiJld. ; DC. Prod. i. 474. 



Mozamb. Distr. River Shire, Dr. Kirk! 

 Occurs also in India. 



; 81. H. esculentus, Linn. ; DO. Prod. i. 450. A tall herb, covered 

 with rough hairs. Leaves on long stalks, cordate, palmately 5-lobed ; lobes 

 acute, irregularly seriated. Peduncles axillary, shorter than the petiole. 

 Jspicalyx of 9-12 distinct, linear, caducous segments, shorter than the calyx. 

 Calyx tubular, 5-toothed, ultimately somewhat 2-lipped. Corolla large, 

 yellow, with a purple spot at the base. Capsule 4-6 in. long, oblong, acute, 

 smooth or hairy, often sulcate, 5-9-celled. Seeds hairy, striate. — Abelmoschts 

 mulentw, Wight and Arn. Prod. PL Pen. Ind. i. 53. A. Bammia, Webb, 

 Frag. PI. /Ethiop. 48. 



Upper Guinea, T. Vogel! Perrottet! 

 Nile Land, Koischy t Speke and Grant ! 

 Naturalized in all tropical countries. 



32. H. Abelmoschus, Linn. ; DC. Prod. i. 452. SuflYuticose, hispid, 

 the leaves on long stalks, hastate, 3-5-lobed ; lobes oblong-acuminate, 

 coarsely and irregularly toothed, often with accessory lobes at the base. Pe- 

 duncles axillary, 1 -flowered, rather shorter than the petiole. Epicalyx of 6- 

 10, linear, hispid lobes, smaller than the calyx; the latter about an inch in 

 length, 5-toothed, split on one side, ultimately deciduous. Corolla yellow, 

 with a crimson centre, three times the length of the calyx. Capsule oblong- 

 lanceolate, hairy, 1^-2 in. long. Seeds scabrous. — A. moschatus, Mojiich ; 

 Wight and Arn. Prod. Fl. Ind. i. 531. 



Upper Guinea. Senegambia, T. Vogel! 

 Lower Guinea. Congo, Burton ! 

 Mozamb. Distr. Zambesi, Br. Kirk ! 



Cultivated in E. and W. tropical Africa, as also in Guiana, W. Tndies, Central America, 

 and elsewhere. 



33. H. tiliaceus, Linn. ; DC. Prod. i. 454. A small tree with purplish 

 branches, marked with the annular scars made by the deciduous stipules. 

 Leaves on long stalks, coriaceous, cordate orbicular or broadly ovate, acumi- 

 nate, rarely 3-5-lobed, entire or sinuous, 5-7-nerved, smooth on the upper, 

 hoary on the lower surface, 3-5 in. diam. Stalks shorter than the blades. 

 Vernation conduplicate. Stipules large, foliaceous, oblong-ovate, deciduous. 

 Peduncles somewhat woody, axillary, angular, jointed. Epicalyx cup-shaped, 

 divided about halfway down into 10 or 12 triangular entire teeth, much 

 shorter than the calyx. Calyx nearly an inch long, broadly campanulate, 5- 

 parted ; segments lanceolate with a prominent downy nerve. Corolla two 

 °r three times the size of the calyx, yellow, with a purple spot at the base. 

 Capsule exceeding the persistent calyx, oblong, pentagonal, downy, 5-valved ; 

 valves adhering to the dissepiments*, their margins papery, corrugated^ and 

 turned inwards so as to render the capsule spuriously 10-celled. Seeds 

 slightly pilose. — H. guineeusis, DC. Prod. i. 454, non Don. 



