486 
XVI. THESPE'SIA (from @eoreowc, thespesios, divine ; 
because the 7’. popúlnea is usually planted about churches within 
the trdpics). Corr. ann. mus. 9. p. 290. D. C. prod. 1. p. 455. 
Malvaviscus, Geert. fruct. 2. t. 135. 
Lin. syst. Monadélphia, Polyéndria. Calyx truncate, 
girded by a 3-leaved deciduous involucel. Capsules 5-celled ; 
cells semi-parted, 4-seeded at the base, with an incomplete dis- 
sepiment. Albumen sparing. Trees with entire leaves. 
1 T. popu’tnea (Cor. l. c.) leaves roundish, cordate, acumi- 
nated, 5-7-nerved, with dot-like scales beneath ; peduncles equal 
in length to the petioles. h .S. Native of the East Indies, Guinea, 
and the Society Islands. Hibiscus popúlneus, Lin. spec. 976. 
Cav. diss. 3. p. 152. t. 56. f. 1—Rheed. mal. 1. p. 51. t. 29. 
Pedicels 1-2 inches long. Flowers large, yellowish, with a dark- 
red centre, inclining to green, becoming reddish as they decay. 
This tree is very commonly cultivated about convents and mo- 
nasteries within the tropics. It is called umbrella tree in some 
of our colonies. 
Var. B, Guadalupénsis (D.C. prod. 1. p. 456.) pedicels an 
inch long; petals narrower, and evidently fringed at the base. 
h. S. Native or cultivated in the island of Guadaloupe. Per- 
haps a distinct species. 
Poplar-like Thespesia. Fl.? Clt. 1770. Tree 40 feet. 
2 T. Brasttie’Nsis (Spreng. syst. 3. p. 96.) leaves ovate- 
oblong, acuminated, subtrifid, serrulated, tomentose beneath ; 
peduncles panicled, floccose. h.S. Native of Brazil. Flowers 
yellowish, with a dark centre ? 
Brazilian Thespesia. Tree 40 feet. 
3 T. cranpirLora (D. C. prod. 1. p. 456.) leaves ovate, 
rather cordate, somewhat acuminated. h.S. Native of Porto- 
Rico. Hibiscus grandiflorus, Juss. ined. Flowers red, 4 
or 5 inches in diameter. Pedicels 4 inches long. Fruit un- 
known. Habit of T. popilnea. 
Great-flowered Thespesia. Clt. 1327. Tree 30 feet. 
4 T. macropuy LLa (Blum. bijdr. ex Schlecht. Linnea. 1. 
p. 651.) leaves cordate, acuminated, 5-nerved; peduncles 
shorter than the petioles. h.S. Native of Java.—Rumph. 
amb, 2. p. 224, t.47. Flowers large, yellowish, with a dark 
centre, becoming reddish as they decay. 
Large-leaved Thespesia. Tree 30 feet. 
5 T.? axtrssima (Spreng. syst. app. 3. p. 257.) leaves 
oblong, retuse, entire; peduncles lateral, many-flowered; sta- 
mens nearly free. kh.S. Native of Java. Esenbéckia altis- 
sima, Blum. bijdr. 
Tallest Thespesia. Tree 60 feet. 
Cult. These trees will thrive well in a mixture of loam and 
sand, and half-ripened cuttings will root freely in sand or mould 
under a hand-glass, in’ heat. 
XVII. GOSSY’PIUM (qoz or gothn in Arabic signifies a 
soft substance; hence both the Latin and English name of the 
genus. In Egypt the name of the cotton-tree is Gotsnenseigiar). 
Lin. gen. no. 845. Lam. ill. t. 586. D. C. prod. 1. p. 465.— 
Xylon, Tourn. inst. t. 27. 
Lin. syst. Monadélphia, Polydndria. Calyx cup-shaped, 
obtusely 5-toothed, girded by a 3-parted, or 3-leaved involucel, 
with the leaflets joined at the base, cordate, deeply toothed. 
(f. 83. a.). Stigmas 3 (f. 83. e.) or 5. Capsules 3-5-celled (f. 
83. f.), many-seeded. Seeds imbedded in the cotton (f. 83. g.). 
The species are little known. This is an important genus as 
furnishing the down used in the cotton manufacture. This down 
is found lining the capsules. There are several species culti- 
vated for cotton in different parts of the world. 
1 G. nEeRBa‘ceum (Lin. spec. 975.) leaves 5-lobed, with 1 gland 
beneath ; lobes rounded, mucronate ; involucel serrated ; stem 
even, smooth. ©. (Lin.)S. ¢.(Par.)S. 2%. (Roxb.)S. Native 
MALVACE. XVI. THESPESIA. 
XVII. Gossypium. 
of India, Africa, and Syria. Petals yellow with a purple spot 
on each claw. Cav. diss. 6. t. 164. f. 2.—Blackw. icon. t. 354. 
This is the only species cultivated in Europe, especially in the 
Levant, Malta, Sicily, and Naples; it is also grown in many 
parts of Asia. In the Levant this species of cotton is sown in 
well prepared land in March in lines at 3 feet distance, and the 
patches of seeds 2 feet apart in the lines. The plants are thinned 
out to 2 or 3in a place, and the earth is stirred by a one-horse plough 
or by manual labour with hoes, and irrigated once or twice a~- 
week by directing the water along the furrows between the rows. 
The flowering season is usually over about the middle of Sep- 
tember, and then the ends of the shoots are pinched off to de- 
termine the sap to the capsules. The capsules are collected 
by hand as they ripen by a tedious process which lasts till the 
end of November. The cotton and the seeds are then separ- 
ated by manual labour, and the former packed in bales or bags 
for sale. The seeds are bruised for oil or eaten, and a portion 
kept for sowing; they are esteemed wholesome and nutritive. 
The most extensive cotton farmers are in the vale of Lorento, 
in the vicinity of Mount Vesuvius. There the rotation of crops 
are 1, maize; 2, wheat, followed by beans which ripen next 
March; 3, cotton; 4, wheat, followed by clover; 5, melons, 
followed by French beans. Thus in 5 years are produced 8 
crops. In this district, wherever water can be commanded, it 
is distributed as in Tuscany and Lombardy to every kind of 
crop. 
. Herbaceous or Common Cotton. 
3 to 4 feet. 
2 G. Java’nicum (Blum. bijdr. ex Schlecht. Linnza. l. p. 
651.) leaves roundish-cordate, half 3-lobed, never entire, quite 
smooth, with 1 gland beneath ; involucel jagged, 3-leaved ; calyx 
unequally 5-toothed; petioles and branches covered with black 
dots. h.S. Native of Java, where it is cultivated for its 
cotton. Flower yellow, with purple claws. 
Java Cotton Tree. Shrub 5 feet. 
3 G. I’ypicum (Lam. dict. 2. p. 134.) leaves 3-5-lobed, ob- 
tuse, glandless ; involucel rather cut at the apex; stem herba- 
ceous, hairy. ©. ¢.S. Native of the East Indies. —Rumph. 
amb. 4. p. 38. t. 12. Cav. diss. 6. t. 169. Flowers yellow, with 
purple claws. This species is cultivated in Amboyna for its cotton. 
Indian Cotton. Fl. July, Aug. Clt. 1800. Pl. 3 to 6 feet. 
4 G. micra’ntuum (Cav. diss, 6. p. $11. t. 193.) leaves 5- 
lobed, obtuse, very smooth, with 1 gland beneath ; involucel mul- 
tifid, longer than the petals ; stem smooth, dotted." ©. S. Na- 
tive of Persia at Ispahan. Flowers yellow, with purple claws ? 
This species is cultivated in Persia for its cotton. 
Small-flowered Cotton. Fl. July, Aug. Clt. 1820. 
4 feet. 
5 G. ARBÒREUM (Lin. spec. 975.) leaves 5-lobed, palmate ; 
lobes lanceolate, obtuse, mucronate from a short bristle, with 1 
gland beneath; involucel deeply serrated ; stem hairy. h. S. 
Native of the East Indies in sandy places.—Rheed. mal. 1. t. $l. 
—Alp. exot. t. 38. Cav. diss. 6. t. 193. G. rabrum, Forsk. 
descr. no. 88? Flowers pale yellow, with brown claws. This 
species is cultivated in the East Indies, as well as in Africa. 
Cotton Tree. Fl. July, Aug. Clt. 1694. Shrub 4 to 10 ft. 
6 G. virirorium (Lam. dict. 2. p. 135.) lower leaves 5-lobed, 
palmate, upper ones 3-lobed, with 1 or 3 glands beneath ; nvo- 
lucels jagged ; calyx with three glands at the base ; stem dotted, 
smooth. ©. (Com.) S. h .(Roxb.) S. Native of the East In- 
dies. Cav. diss. 6. t.1 66.—Rumph. amb. 4. t. 13.—G. glabrum, 
Lam. according to Cay. is not distinct from this plant. This 
species is cultivated in the East Indies and Brazil. Flowers 
yellow, with purple claws. 
Vine-leaved Cotton. Fl. July, Aug. Clt. 1805. Pl. 5 feet. 
7 G. HRsU rum (Lin. spec. 975.) upper leaves undivided, 
Fl. July. Clt. 1594. Pl. 
Pl. 2 or 
