272 MALVACEAE. 



10. HIBISCUS L. Sp. PI. 693. 1753. 



Herbs, shrubs, or in tropical regions even small trees, with dentate or lobed 

 leaves, and showy, mostly campanulate flowers. Braetlets numerous, narrow. 

 Calyx 5-eleft or 5-toothed. Column of stamens anther-bearing below along 

 much of its length. Ovary 5-celled, the cavities 3-several-ovuled ; style-branches 

 5, stigmatic at the capitate summit. Capsule 5-valved. Seeds reniform. [An 

 ancient name, used by Dioscorides for the Marsh Mallow.] About 180 species, 

 widely distributed. Type species: Hibiscus Trionum L. 



1. Hibiscus bahamensis Britton, Bull. N. Y. Bot. Gard. 4: 120. 1905. 



A shrub, the leaves, calyx, peduncles and twigs densely and finely stellate- 

 pubescent. Leaves ovate in outline, palmately veined, 10 cm. long or less, firm 

 in texture, cordate to truncate at the base, 3-lobed or 5-lobed with the middle 

 lobe much the longest and acuminate, the lateral lobes acute or obtuse, irregu- 

 larly dentate; upper leaves varying to lanceolate, and merely dentate; petioles 

 as long as the blades or shorter; peduncles stout, solitary in the axils, longer 

 than the subtending petioles, jointed near the middle; braetlets linear-lanceo- 

 late, acuminate, very unequal, the longer about 1.5 cm. long; calyx 2-2.5 cm. 

 long, densely stellate-pubescent, its oblong lebes strongly veined, acuminate; 

 petals brownish, 3.5 cm. long, densely pubescent without, oblanceolate, obtusish; 

 capsule oval, 2.5 cm. long, 2 cm. thick, densely silky. 



Rocky scrub-lands and coppices, Abaco, Andros, Eleuthera, Cat Island, Concep- 

 tion Island, Rum Cay, Acklin's. Endemic. Recorded by Mrs. Northrop as H. crypto- 

 carpus Rich. Erroneously called wild cotton. Bahama Hibiscds. 



11. ABELMOSCHUS Medic. Malv. 45. 1787. 



Tall herbs, with broad, lobed leaves, and large axillary and terminal 

 flowers. Braetlets several or numerous, narrow. Calyx spathaceous, splitting 

 along one side, deciduous. Stamen-column bearing numerous anthers. Ovary 

 5-eelled, its cavities several-ovuled ; style-branches 5, stigmatic at the summit. 

 Capsule elongated, 5-valved. [Name said to be Arabic] A few species, 

 natives of the Old World. Type species: Abelmoschus moscliatus Medic. 



1. Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench, Meth. 617. 1794. 



Hibiscus esculentus L. Sp. PL 696. 1753. 



Annual, erect, little-branched, 1-2 m. tall, sparingly hirsute. Leaves long- 

 petioled, nearly orbicular in outline, 1-3 dm. broad, deeply 5-7 -lobed, the lobes 

 lanceolate to obovate, irregularly serrate, acute or obtuse; peduncles stout, 

 1-3 em. long; braetlets linear, bristly-hirsute, about 1.5 em. long; calyx about 

 2 cm. long; petals broad, yellowish, purple-blotched at the base, 3-4 cm. long; 

 capsule angled, 2 dm. long or less, long-tipped. 



Waste-lands, spontaneous after cultivation ; Cat Island and Fortune Island : 

 spontaneous in most tropical and subtropical regions ; native of the Old World trop- 

 ics. Okra. 



12. PARITI Adans. Earn. PI. 2, 401. 1763. 



Trees, with broad cordate petioled leaves, large deciduous stipules, and 

 large, terminal or axillary flowers, solitary or few together, the petals yellow or 

 changing to red. Involucre 8-10-toothed. Calyx 5-toothed. Style pubescent 



