212 xxv. Malvaceae (masters). [Gossypium. 



dulose on the under surface. Stalks of lower leaves as long as the blades. 

 Stipules lanceolate entire or slightly cut. Peduncles solitary, axillary, 1- 

 flowered, shorter than the petioles. Epicnlyx of 3 cordate, ovate, acute, 

 laciniate or rarely nearly entire segments, which are three times longer than 

 the cup-shaped, nearly entire calyx. Corolla yellow with a purple spot at 

 the base, double the length of the epicalyx. Column bearing anthers near the 

 top only. Ripe- capsule oblong, obtuse, 1-1£ m - ' on c> 1 " n - wide. Seeds free, 

 covered with whitish cotton closely adherent to the seed, often with a brownish 

 " fuzz." — G. hirsiitum, Linn. ; DC. Prod. i. 456. G. prostratum, Schum. et 

 Thonn. PI. Guin. 311 . G. punctntum, Gruill. et Perr. El. Seneg. i. 62 ; Kich. 

 Fl. Abyss, i. 63, nee Schum. et Thonn. 



Cultivated in almost every district of tropical Africa. 



Upper Guinea. Senegambia, Perrottet! Niger, Barter! Abbeokuta, Irving! 



Nile Land. Nubia, Schweivfurth ! Abyssinia, Schimper, Dillon and Petit ! White 

 Nile, Pelherick ! 



Mozamb. Distr. Zambesi, Dr. Kirk ! 



This species is cultivated in various parts of India, Japan, the south of Europe, etc. The 

 wild form exists apparently in Scinde and Cabul, where it has been found by Stocks and 

 Dalzell. "The leaves in the wild plant have their lobes very rounded, but when cultivated, 

 the plants are not different from the ordinary 6. herbaceum." (Stocks in Herb. Kew.) 

 The plants vary greatly in the amount of hairiness. 



In addition to the above, a G. jmberulum, Klotzsch, Monog. Gossypii (ined.), is mentioned 

 by name only in Petera' Bot. Mossamb. i. 128. The plant is stated to grow at Senna, on 

 the Zambesi. 



15. ADANSONIA, Linn. ; Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. PI. i. 209. 



Calyx leathery, cup-shaped, 5-cleft. Petals 5. Column dividing above 

 into a great number of filaments ; anthers reniform. Ovary 5-10-celled ; 

 cells many-ovuled. Style longer than the stamens, dividing above into as 

 many stigmatic rays as there are cells to the ovary. Fruit oblong, woody, 

 indehiscent, filled with pulp. Seeds reniform. Embryo curved ; cotyledons 

 much twisted. — Trees with a comparativelv low trunk of vast circumference. 

 Leaves digitate. Flowers white, axillary, stalked, pendulous. 



There are two species of this genus, one, the Baobab or Monkey-bread-tree of Africa, 

 also found in W. tropical Asia, where it is cultivated, the other a native of Australia. 



1. A. digitata, Linn. ; DC. Prod. i. 478. A tree of moderate height 

 but with a trunk of vast thickness; smaller branches somewhat angular, 

 downy. Leaves stalked, digitate, stalks 4-5 in. long ; leaflets oblong entire 

 or sinuous at the margins, acuminate, smooth above, downy below, 2-3 in- 

 long. Peduncles solitary, axillary, 1-flowered, twice the length of the leaves, 

 pendent. Calyx cup-shaped, 5-cleft; lobes oblong, obtuse, leatherv, velvety 

 inside. Petals 5, roundish, leathery, white, spreading, ultimately* reflected, 

 twice or thrice the size of the calyx, 5-6 in. diam. Column entire below, 

 above broken up into a great number of filaments bearing 1-cellcd anthers. 

 Style long; stigma of 7-10 spreading rays. Ovary ovate, silky. Flowers 

 in May before the leaves. 



Upper Guinea. Senegambia, Perrottet! Niger, Barter! Quorra, T. Yogel ! 



