04 THALAMIFLORJE. 



S''*- the length of the petals, spirally twisted, 5-toothed at the 

 apex, minutely puberulous, crimson : filaments, where free, re- 

 flected : anthers purple; pollenary globules minutely puberu- 

 lous. Ov^ary spherical: style longer than the column, lO-fid at 

 the apex : stigmata subcapitate, purple. Carpels 5, united to 

 form a globular berried capsule : seeds solitary. 



2. Malvaviscus pilosus. Hairy Malvaviscus. 



Leaves cordate crenated attenuato-acumiiiate with 

 the apex obtuse, branchlets and petioles hairy. 



Achauia pilosa, Swartz, Fl. Ind, Occ. 1224. — Bot. Cab. 829. 



HAB. Common in the higher mountains. 



FL. Throughout the year. 



A shrub, about 8 feet in height : branches terete, towards 

 their extremities stellato-pilose. Leaves ovate, cordate, very 

 much attenuated at the apex which is blunt, 8-nerved, une- 

 qually crenated, stellato-puberulous above, stellato-pilose, espe- 

 cially along the nerves and villous in their axils, beneath, min- 

 utely pellucido-punctulated : petiole bearing the leaf in a pel- 

 tate manner, pilose especially above. Stipules nearly an inch 

 in length, lineari-subulate. Peduncles axillary, solitary, terete, 

 stellato-pilose, 1-flowered. Leaflets of the involucellum 7-9. 

 Two or more of the divisions of the calyx accrete. Petals 

 veined, ciliated, scarlet. Column of the filaments much longer 

 than the corolla, spirally twisted, 5-toothed at the apex : an- 

 thers on reverted filaments. Style longer than the stamens, 

 10"fid at the apex: stigmata purple, puberulous. Fruit glo- 

 bose, yellow. 



There appears, at first sight, to be a great resemblance be- 

 tween these two species: but they are readily distinguished on 

 a closer examination. They are also found in very distinct 

 localities : the former is a native of our low hills and the damp 

 shady situations of our plains : whereas the latter is an inhabi- 

 tant of our mountains. The flowers of both are attractive and 

 beautiful, and deservedly claim a place in our gardens. 



VI. Hibiscus. 



Calycine involucellum generally many-leaved, rare- 

 ly few-leaved or with the leaflets united. Petals in 

 this, as well as the succeeding genera, not auriculated. 

 Stigmata 5. Carpels united to form a 5-celled capsule, 

 with the valves longitudinally septiferous from the 

 centre : cells many-, rarely one-seeded. 



All the species abound in mucilage, and the bark of such as 

 have woody stems, may be manufactured into mats or cordage. 

 — The name was that of the 3IaUoiv among the Greeks. 



