54 à MALVACEÆ. THESPESIA. 
X. THESPESIA. Corr. 
Calyx truncated, surrounded by a caducous 3-leaved involucel. Style 
simple, 5-sulcated towards the apex, with 5 points or stigmas. Carpels 5, 
united into a 5-celled coriaceous capsule not spontaneously dehiscing ; cells 
with an introflexed membrane in the middle at their back, about 4-seeded.— 
Trees. Leaves cordate, acuminated, quite entire. 
197. (1) T. populnea (Corr.:) young parts, and leaves beneath, sprinkled 
with minute rusty-coloured scales : leaves roundish cordate, acuminated, 5-7- 
nerved, with pores beneath at the base between the nerves: pedicels about 
as long as the petioles.— DC. prod. 1. p. 456 ; Spr. syst. 3. p. 96; Wall.! L. n. 
1888; Wight! cat. n. 172.—Hibiscus populneus, Linn.; Roxb. in E. I. C. 
mus. tab. 351.—H. populneoides, Rowb. l. e. tab. 352.—Malvaviscus popul- 
neus, Gertn. fr. t. 135.—Rheed. Mal. 1. t. 29. 
Blume separates from this the plant in Rumph. Amb. 2. t. 74, ander the 
name of T. macrophylla, the pedicels being shorter than the petioles; We 
doubt much if that be sufficient. Roxburgh's Hib. populneoides, which he 
only observed in gardens about Courtallum, is merely a state with the acumi- 
nation of the leaves a little longer than usual, and their margins slightly waved: 
he attempts to point out a difference also in the fruit. 
XI. GOSSYPIUM. Linn. ; Lam. ill, t. 586; Gertn. fr. t. 134. 
Calyx eup-shaped, obtusely 5-toothed, surrounded by a 3-leaved invo- 
lucel, with the leaves united and cordate at the base and deeply cut or 
toothed irregularly. Style simple, marked with 3 or 5 furrows towards the — 
apex. Stigmas usually 3, sometimes 5. Capsules 3-5-celled, 3—5-valved at — 
the apex, loculicidal. Seeds numerous, imbedded in cotton.— Young branches 
and leaves more or less conspicuously covered with little black dots; nerves 
below usually with one or more glands. 
, M. Rohr has long ago pointed out, from many years experience in the West w 
dies, that constant characters could not be obtained from the shape of the leave —— 
-their glands, or the involucel, but must be looked for in the seed. Dr F. age 
chanan Hamilton (Linn. Trans. v. 13. p. 492) makes the same remark, and adds, — 
that ** the plant being annual, or growing to a small tree with a woody stem lasting — 
for years, is a mere accidental circumstance, owing to the manner of treatment. — 
In dividing the genus into species, we therefore follow this last writer, who mentions  — 
that the pubescence is a better criterion than either the number and form of the — 
lobes of the leaf, or the number of the glands, for distinguishing the varieties. E 
Rohr divides the cotton plants with which: ho was acquainted into,—l. those WI 
seeds black and rough; 2. with seeds brownish-black and veined ; 3. seeds sprinkl 
with short hairs; 4. seeds completely covered with a close down: which characters 
combined with the colour of the cotton, and its mode of attachment to the seed, ant — 
the shape of the seed, we recommend to the attention of those who have the means — 
of studying them in the a one ^ ; as it is almost necessary that dried specimens m 
leaf, flower, and ripe fruit, be accompanied by remarks, before botanists can clear — 
up this genus with any kind of satisfaction. ^ 
198. (1) G. album (Ham.:) seeds and cotton both white—Wight ! cat. n. — 
176, 178.—G. herbaceum, Linn.; DC. prod. 1. p. 456; Spr. syst. 9. P- 95; 
Roxb. in E. I. C. mus. t. 1493; Wall. L. n. 1880.—G. hirsutum, Linn.; — 
DC. prod. 1. p. 456 ; Spr. syst. 3. p. 96.—G. obtusifolium, Roxb. in E. I. e 
mus. tab. 1495.—G. trieuspidatim, Lam.—G. eglandulosum, Cav.? ; DC 
l. c.— Pluk. t. 188. f. 1. and 2; Rheed. Mal. 1. t. 31. f 
Hamilton refers Rheede’s figure to the next, but that author describes the 
seeds as white. G. micranthum, Cav., appears to be a glabrous variety. 
199. (2) G. nigrum (Ham.!) seeds black, cotton white.—2; stems and — 
leaves more or less hairy or pubescent; flowers yellowish.—Wight ! cat. n- 
