POPULAR FLORA. 



131 



Calyx 2-leavecl, free from the ovary, which makes a few-seeded pod, spUtting into 3 valves. 

 Stamens 5, one before each petal. Leaves 2 and opposite in our species, on a 

 stem which comes from a small tuber. Flowers rose-color, in a raceme, open- 



ing for several days. 



( Clayibnia) Spki^'G-Beauty. 



309. Half of a flower of the common Purslane, divided lengthwise and magnified. 310. Pod of the same, openin? by a lid. 

 311. Claytonirt or Spring-Bemuy. 312 Its 2-cIeft calyx and pod 313. Ripe poil cut acro.ss, and splitting' into three 

 valves. 314. Seed, more magnified. 315. Same, cut througn, to show the coiled embryo. 316. Embryo taken out. 



17. MALLOW FAMILY. Order MALVACE^. 

 Distinguislied by the numerous monadelphnus stamens (i. e. united by their filaments into 

 a tube or column), with kidney-shaped one-celled anthers, and the five sepals or lobes of the 

 calyx applied edge to edge without overlapping (i. e. valvate) in the bud, and persistent. 

 Leaves almost always palmately-veined, alternate, with stipules. Petals united at the bot- 

 tom with the tube of stamens. There is often a sort of outer calyx, below the true one, 

 called an involucel. All innocent plants, full of mucilage (it is extracted from the root of 

 Marsh-Mallow), and with a very tough fibrous inner bark. Flowers often handsome. 



Anthers all at the top of the column of united filaments (Fig. 317). 



Involucel or outer calyx present. Cells of the fruit many in a ring, separating whole 

 when ripe, one-seeded. 

 Involucel 9-parted. Separated little pods margiiiless. Plant soft-downy: root pe- 

 rennial, {Althcea) Marsii-IMallow. 

 Involucel about 6 -parted. Separated pods with membranaceous margins. Plants 



tall, roughish: root biennial. Flowers large, (AltJicea, ^ A'lcen) * Hollyhock. 



Involucel 3-6-cleft. A flat plate covering the circle of pods, {Lavatern) * Lavatera. 



Involucel 3-leaved. Circle of pods naked, around a narrow axis, ( Malva) JilALLOW. 



^ 



