66 thalamiflor.t;, 



Chinese as emollient and resolvent, and useful in Strangury 

 and Dysuria. The flowers, from the mucilaginous juice they 

 contain, are employed to give a polish to the leather of shoes ; 

 and hence the plant has received the name of the shoe-black (rosa 

 calceolaria). They are also made use of to give a red tinge 

 to certain spirituous liquors. The plant itself may be grown to 

 form an ornamental fence. None of the varieties perfect the 

 fruit in this country. It grows readily from cuttings, and the 

 different varieties may be grafted without difficulty on one 

 another. 



3. Hibiscus bifurcatus. Bifurcated Hibiscus. 



Stem friiticose scabrous toward the end of the 

 branches, peduncles and the under surface of the 

 nerves of the leaves scabrous with reversed prickles, 

 leaves 3-5-lobed acuminate serrated, leaflets of the 

 involucellum bifid at the apex. 



Cav. disH. III. 146. t. 51. f. l.—De Cand. Prod. I. 449. 



HAB. Sea-shore, near Spring-garden estate, St George's. 



FL. February. 



Suffruticose, about 3 feet in height: branches long, subsimple, 

 subterete, green, muricated witli the asperities directed back- 

 wards. Leaves ; the lower ones subtrilobate, the upper with 

 the middle lobe elongated so as to approach to hastate, cor- 

 date, acuminate, irregularly serrated, stellato-hispid especially 

 beneath, ciliated : petiole muricated with reverted prickles. 

 Flowers axillary, solitary, peduncled, large, purple : peduncle 

 shorter than the petiole, scabrous. Leaflets of the involucel- 

 lum 10, linear, double pointed at the apex, hispid. Calycine 

 segments 3-nerved, acute, hispid. Corolla about four times 

 longer than the calyx. Stigmata subcapitate, puberulous. Cap- 

 sule setoso-hirsute ; cells many-seeded. 



This, very beautiful species, is a native of Brazil and Porto- 

 Ricco, as well as of this Island. 



4. Hibiscus esculentus. Edible OT^ra. 



Leaves cordate 5-lobed somewhat obtuse dentate, 

 petiole longer than the flower, involucellum 10- 

 leaved deciduous, calyx bursting longitudinally. 



Shane, I. t. 133, f. 3 Browne, 285— Cav. diss. III. t. 61. 



f. 2. 



HAB. Cultivated. 



FL. Throughout the year. 



The full, but unripe fruit of this species is an excellent vege- 

 table. It abounds in mucilage, and is either dressed plain, or 



