230 STERCULIACEAE. 



5. SIDA L. 



Herbs with serrate, crenate or lobed leaves and soli- 

 tary or clustered axillary or terminal perfect flowers. 

 Bractlets of the involucre none. Calyx 5-toothed or 

 5-cleft. Staminal tube anther-bearing at the summit. 

 Carpels 5-many, 1-ovuled; style-branches of the same 

 number, stigmatic at the summit only. Carpels indehis- 

 cent or at length 2-valved at the apex. Seed pendulous. 



1. S. hederacea (Dougl.) T. & G. Perennial, stoutish, erect- 

 spreading or prostrate, leafy, 2-4 dm. long, hoary-tomentose or 

 yellowish-tomentose throughout; leaves short-petioled, about 2.5 

 cm. long, reniform, oblique at the base, serrate or crenate; flowers 

 axillary, solitary or clustered, on slender at length reflexed pedicels; 

 bractlets 1 or 2, linear; calyx-lobes acuminate; petals 2 cm. long, 

 cream color; fruit short-conical, smooth; carpels 6-10. 



Common in subsaline places. May-September. 



Family 63. STERCULIACEAE. Sterculia Family. 



Trees, shrubs or herbs (mostly tropical or subtropical) 

 much resembling the Malvaceae. Calyx 5-parted, imbri- 

 cated, in ours petal-like. Petals wanting in ours. Sta- 

 mens in ours 5, monadelphous; anthers adnate, extrorse, 

 2-celled, longitudinally dehiscent. Ovary 5-celled or 

 rarely 4-celled, with numerous horizontal anatropous 

 ovules in the axils. Style simple, terminated by a 

 minute undivided stigma. Capsule 5-valved. Seeds 

 oval or ovoid; embryo straight. 



1. FREMONTODENDRON Coville. California Slippery-elm. 



Shrub with hard wood and dark colored bark. Leaves 

 tawny-canescent or ferruginous beneath. Bractlets 3, 

 sometimes 5, minute, caducous. Sepals roundish, ro- 

 tately spreading in anthesis, nectariferous-pitted at base. 

 Stamens regular; filaments adnate to the calyx at the 

 base, monadelphous to or above the middle; anthers 

 elongated-oblong, emarginate at both ends, adnate to an 

 inconspicuous connective. Capsule ovoid, firm-coria- 

 ceous. Seeds srnooth. 



1. F. calif ornicum (Torr.) Coville. Branching shrub or arbores- 

 cent, 2-7 m. high; leaves subcoriaceous, round-cordate to round- 

 ovate, 3-5-lobed or 3-5-cleft, 2-5 cm. broad; flowers short-peduncled 



