218 XXI. MALVACE^. [Htbiscus. 



r 



always smaller, with broader and shorter lobes. — If. grossularicBfolius^ Miq. in PI. Preiss. 

 i. 240 ; Bot. Mag. t, 4329 ; JT. Meisneri, Miq. 1. c. j H. geraniifolius, Turcz. in Bull. 

 Mosc. 1858, i. 195. — Swan River and S. coast. 



H 



A. small tree. Leaves on 



long petioles, orbicular-cordate, shortly acuminate, entire or crenulate, white 

 or hoary underneath with a close short tomentum, nearly glabrous above^ 3 

 to 5 in. diameter. Stipules large, broadly oblong, very deciduous. Flowers 

 large, yellow with a dark crimson centre, on short peduncles in the upper 

 axils or at the ends of the branches. Involuci'e caiupanulate, divided to 

 about the middle into 10 to 12 lobes, about half the length of the calyx. 

 Calyx nearly 1 in. long, -with lanceolate 1 -nerved lobes. Petals 2 to 3 in. 

 long, slightly toraentose outside. Capside nearly 1 in. diameter, the valves 

 bearing the dissepiments in their centre, and their thin margins turned in- 

 wards so as to make the capsule appear 10-celled. — Pa7*itium tiliaceum, St. 

 Hil. Fl. Bras. Mer. i. 256 ; Wight, Ic. PL t. 7. 



ff- Australia. Islands of the Bay of Carpentaria, R, Brown, llenne ; Port MoUe, 

 M'Gmivraii. 



Queensland. Burdekin Bxpedition ; Rockhampton, Thozei. 



A common seacoast tree in most tropical countries, particularly abundant in the islands 



of the Pacific. 



10, LAGTJiq-ARIA, G. Don. 



Bracteoles 3 or 4, broad and imited at the base, often very deciduous. 

 Calyx very shortly 5-lobed. Staminal column bearing numerous filaments 

 on the outside below the 5-crenate summit. Ovary 5 -celled, with several 

 ovules in each cell. Style clavate at the top, with 5 distinct ovate radiating 

 stigmas. Capsule loculicidally 5-valved, the endocarp villous inside and 

 separating from the pericarp. Seeds reniform, thick, glabrous. — A tree. 

 Leaves entire, sprinkled or cur^^ed, with scurfy scales. Flow^ers large, axillary, 

 on short thick pe(Jicels, 



The genus, scarcely perhaps sufficiently distinct from Hibisczts, is limited to a pingle 

 species, represented, however, by two distinct vaiieties, one Australian, the other peculiar to 

 Norfolk Island. 



1. L. Patersoniy Bon, Gen. Syst. i. 485, var. Iracteaia. A tree, the 

 young parts and inflorescence more or less covered with minute scurfy scales, 

 but otherwise glabrous. Leaves petiolate, oblong or broadly lanceolate, rarely 

 ovate-oblong, 3 to 4 in. long, entire, somewhat coriaceous," white underneath 

 when young, glabrous and pale-green on both sides when full grown, the 

 scales of the under surface almost disappearing. Pedicels very short and 

 angular. Bracteoles 3 to 5, very obtuse, united in a broad, shortly-lobed 

 cup, usually persistent at the time of flowering in the Australian variety, but 

 sometimes even these falling off early. Calyx 4 to 5 lines long. Petals 

 nan-ow, above 1^ in. long, slightly tomentose outside. 



Queensland. Port Denison, Flizalan; Port Cowpcr, T, Sutherland ; Cunihcrland 

 Islauds, Herb. Mueller. 



The Norfolk Island form {JJibiscns Patersonim, Andr. Bot. Rep. t, 286; if. Fafersoniy 

 DC. Prod. i. 45i ; LaguncRa Faiersonia, Bot. Mag. t. 769 ; L. scptamea. Vent. Jard. Malm. 

 t, 42) is much more scaly-tomeutose, the leaves are hroadcr and very .white underaeath, and 

 the bracteoles fall off at so very early a stage that they have always been said to be entirely 



