Tab. 5404. 

 SPH./ERALCEA acerifolia. 



Maple-leaved Spharalcea. 



Nat. Ord. Malvace.e. — Monadelphia Polyandria. 



Gen. Char. JBracteola? 3, libera v. basi coalitoe. Calyx 5-fidus. Colnmna 

 staminea summo apice v. usque ad apicem in filamenta oo divisa. Ovarii loculi 

 oo, verticillati, 2-3-ovulati; styli rami totidem, filiforraes v. clavati, apice stisr- 

 matosi. Carpella mature ab axi secedentia, apice rotundata v. truncate, mutica 

 vel dorso angulata v. 2-aristata, 2-valvia. Semina reniformia. — Herboe suffru- 

 tices v. frutices, Jiabitu Malvis Malvastrisve a/fines. Folia scepe angulata v. lobata. 

 Flores breviter pedicellati, solitarii v.fasciculali, axillares v. in racemum sen spi- 

 cam terminalem dispositi, violacei v. carnei, rarius pedunculati v. rubri. Bentham 

 et Hook. 



Sph^eralcea acerifolia ; pubescenti-toraentosa, foliis cordaiis 5- sub-7-lobato- 

 palmatis, lobis latis acutis grosse subinsequaliter serratis, floribus copiosis 

 in axillis foliorum superiorum glomeratis vel in apicibus ramorum spicato- 

 glomeratis. 



Sphl^ralcea acerifolia. Torrey and Gray, Fl. of N. Am. v. 1. p. 228. 



Malva (Sphseroma) acerifolia. Nutt. mss. 



This fine Malvaceous plant (and indeed nearly allied to true 

 Mallows, and, like them, herbaceous) was discovered on the 

 banks of rivulets east of the Wallawallah, North- West Ame- 

 rica, by Mr. Nuttall, and he referred it to the section Spharoma 

 of De Candolle in the genus Malva* and gave it the appropriate 

 specific name of acerifolia. It has since been found in British 

 Columbia, by Dr. Lyall, of the late Surveying Expedition to de- 

 termine the boundary-line between the British and North Ame- 

 rican possessions on the Pacific, when fine specimens and seeds 

 were sent to Kew. Plants flowered in a greenhouse of the 

 Royal Gardens in June, 1863 ; but there is good reason to be- 

 lieve it will prove hardy in the open borders. 



* It may not be irrelevant here to mention that Malva angustifolia, Cav. (Bot. 

 Mag. t. 2839), M. obtmiloba (Bot. Mag. t. 2787), and M. abutiloides, L. (Bot. 

 Mag. t. 2544), are now referred to Splueralcea. 



OCTOBER 1st. 1868. 



