MALVACEAE. 189 



Fruit of several radial carpels about an axis : stamen-column anther- 

 bearing at the top. 

 Stigmas terminal, capitate : mature carpels persistent and dehiscent. 



Carpels 2-fe\v-seeded. 1. Abutilon. 



Carpels 1-seeded. 2. Sida. 



Stigmas introrse, elongate : mature carpels deciduous. 



Involucels of 6-9 bractlets. 3. Althaea. 



Involucels of 1-3 bractlets. 4. Malva. 



Fruit a loculicidal capsule : stamen-column anther-bearing below the top. 



5. Hibiscus. 



1. ABUTILON [Tourn.] Mill. Herbs, shrubs, or rarely trees. Leaf- 

 blades entire, toothed, or lobed. Involucel wanting. Sepals 5, united below. 

 Petals 5, often yellow. Carpels 5-30, beaked at maturity. 



1. A. Abutilon (L.) Eusby. Stems 3-18 dm. tall, velvety-pubescent: leaf- 

 blades suborbieular to ovate or reniform-orbicular, 9-30 cm. long: calyx-lobes 

 abruptly pointed: petals yellow, 10-15 mm. long: carj^els 15-20 mm. long. — 

 Common, in cultivated and waste grounds. Nat. of As. — Sum. — Indian- 

 mallow. Velvet-leaf. 



2. SIDA L. Herbs or partially woody plants. Leaf-blades usually toothed. 

 Involucel wanting. Sepals 5, partially united. Petals 5, white or colored. 

 Carpels 5-many, 1-celled, commonly singly or doubly beaked. — Sum. 



Leaf-blades toothed : flowers solitary : corolla yellow : carpels 5. 1. 8. spinosa. 

 Leaf-blades lobed : flowers clustered : corolla white : carpels 10. 2. S. hertnaphrodita. 



1. S. spinosa L. Plants 1-6 dm. tall, pubescent: leaf -blades oblong to ovate 

 or ovate-lanceolate to linear-lanceolate; 1-5 cm. long, serrate: calyx-lobes tri- 

 angular: corolla pale-yellow: mature carpels about 5, 4 mm. long. — Common, 

 in cultivated grounds and waste places. Nat. of trop. Am. 



2. S. hermaphrodita (L.) Eusby. Plants erect, 9-40' dm. tall: leaf -blades 

 palmately 3-7-lobed : calyx-lobes triangular : petals white : mature carpels 6-7 

 mm. long. — S. Bare, on river bank at Cooks Landing. — Schists. 



3. ALTHAEA L. Herbs resembling Malvae in habit. Involucel of 

 several, mostly 6-9, bractlets which are more or less united at the base. 



1. A. officinalis L. Perennial, the stem branched: leaf -blades ovate in outline, 

 3-5-angled or 3-5-lobed, irregularly and prominently toothed: cymes several- 

 flowered: lobes of the involucel s-ubulate or lanceolate-subulate: calyx-lobes 

 4-6 mm. long, acuminate : corolla white or pink, 2-3 cm. wide : carpel-heads 

 about 1 cm. wide. — M. Local, about Lancaster. Nat. of Eu. — Sum. — 

 Marsh-mallow. 



4. MALVA [Tourn.] L. Herbs. Leaf-blades lobed or dissected. Invo- 

 lucel of usually 3 bractlets. Sepals 5, partially united. Petals 5, sometimes 

 eroded. Carpels many, 1-celled, beakless, the faces radially striate or ribbed at 

 maturity. — Mallow. 



Petals as long as the calyx or twice as long : mature carpels smooth. 



1. M. rotundifoUa. 

 Petals thrice as long as the calyx or four times as long : mature 



carpels veiny. 2. M. sylvestris. 



1. M. rotundifolia L. Plants depressed: leaf -blades obscurely lobed, crenate- 

 dentate; calyx-lobes ovate to triangular-ovate: petals light-blue or white, 9-14 

 mm. long: carpels 1.5-2 mm. long. — Common, in cultivated grounds and waste 

 places. Nat. of Eu. — Spr. and sum. — Cheeses. 



2. M. sylvestris L. Plants 3-4 dm. tall: leaf -blades prominently lobed and 

 crenate-dentate: calyx-lobes triangular or nearly so: petals light-purple to 



