MALVACE.i:. 65 



Sect. 1. Cells 1 -seeded. 

 I. Hibiscus pentaspermiis. Five-seeded Hibiscus. 



Hirsute, leaves cordate acuminate coarsely-toothed, 

 peduncles axillary 1 -flowered somewhat longer than 

 the petiole, fruit pentagonal stellato-hispid especially 

 along the angles. 



Bertero, Be Cand. Prod. I. 447. 



HAB. Savannah la Mar, Dr Distin. — V.ir. /3. Morant-Bay. 



FL. After the May and Autumnal rains. 



Herbaceous, 3 feet in height : branches long, subsimple, ter- 

 ete, setoso-hirsute, with a line of pubescence on one side. 

 Leaves alternate, petiolate, cordate, acuminate, coarsely toothed, 

 3-nerved, stellato-hirsute. Stipules linear. Peduncles axillary, 

 solitary, 1 -flowered, longer than the petiole. Leaflets of the 

 involucellum 8. Flowers yellow. Petals externally stellate- 

 setose. Column of the stamens of nearly the same length as 

 the petals. Stigmata 5, reflected. Capsule pentangular, de- 

 pressed, stellato-setose especially at the angles : seeds solitary, 

 naked. 



The variety of this plant which grows at Morant-Bay, has 

 the flowers white, and the leaves semitrilobate : in every other 

 respect it agrees with the plant of Bertero, specimens of which 

 I have had an opportunity of examining in the Hookerian 

 Herbarium. 



Sect. 2. Cells many-seeded. Seeds glabrous. 

 2. Hibiscus Rosa-Sinensis. Chinese Rose. 



Stem unarmed arborescent, leaves ovate acuminate 

 glabrous very entire at the base coarsely-toothed to- 

 wards the apex subincised, peduncles length of the 

 leaves, involucellum 7-leaved. 



Cav. diss. III. t. 69. f. ^.—Rheed. Mai. U, t. IG Bot. Mag. 



158. 



HAB. Cultivated. 



FL. Throughout the year. 



This is a favourite plant and universally cultivated in China 

 and India, where the flowers are employed on every festal occa- 

 sion, as also in their sepulchral rites. It has become with us 

 one of the most common shrubs in our gardens, and we are 

 possessed of all the difi^erent varieties, with exception of the 

 double-ivhite. It is mentioned by Rheed, that the root, tritura- 

 ted with oil, is employed by the natives of Malabar as a remedy 

 in Menorrhagia. The leaves are regarded by the Cochin^ 



VOL. I. F 



