426 MALVACEAE. 
5. Hibiscus Syriacus lL. Shrubby Althaea. 
Rose-of-Sharon. (Fig. 2438.) 
Hibiscus Syriacus I, Sp. Pl. 695. 1753. 
A branching nearly glabrous shrub, 10°-20° high. 
Leaves short-petioled, ovate, 2-5’ long, obtuse or cuneate 
at the base, acute but blunt at the apex, 3-5-lobed or the 
upper merely dentate, sometimes with a few scattered 
stellate hairs on the upper surface; flowers axillary, short- 
peduncled, pink or white with a crimson centre, 2’-4/ 
broad; bractlets linear, shorter than the calyx, or slightly 
exceeding it; peduncles, bractlets and calyx stellate- 
pubescent; capsule ovoid, nearly 1/ long. 
Sparingly escaped from cultivation in southern New Jersey 
and Pennsylvania. Introduced from western Asia. Aug.-Sept. 
Family 75. THEACEAE DC. Prodr. 1: 529. 1824. 
THA FAMILY. 
Trees or shrubs, with alternate or rarely opposite pinnately-veined mainly 
exstipulate leaves, and large axillary or terminal flowers. Flowers regular, 
mostly perfect. Sepals 5 (rarely 4-7), imbricated, the inner ones generally larger 
than the outer. Calyx often 2-bracted at the base. Petals 5 (rarely 4-9), 
hypogynous, imbricated, crenulate. Stamens ©, numerous, hypogynous, more 
or less united at their bases. Ovary sessile, 2-several-celled; styles 1 or several; 
ovules 2 or more in each cavity. Fruit a 3-5-celled generally woody capsule 
with loculicidal or septicidal dehiscence; endosperm little or none; embryo large, 
with conduplicate cotyledons. 
About 16 genera and 160 species, natives of tropical and warm regions. 
Stamens monadelphous. 1. Stuartia. 
Stamens 5-adelphous. 2. Gordonia, 
i SLUARTIA I. Sp. Pl608. 2753-> 
Shrubs, with deciduous membranous serrulate leaves, and large showy axillary soli- 
tary flowers on short peduncles. Sepals 5, rarely 6, slightly unequal, ovate or lanceolate. 
Petals of the same number, obovate. Stamens monadelphous below; anthers versatile. 
Ovary 5-celled; styles 1 or 5; ovules 2 in each cell, anatropous; capsule ovoid, woody, 5- 
celled, loculicidally dehiscent. Embryo straight. Cotyledons oval, longer than the inferior 
radicle. [Named in honor of John Stuart, Marquis of Bute. ] 
Six species, natives of North America and Japan. 
Style 1, compound; stigma 5-lobed; seeds marginless; capsule subglobose. 1. S. Malachodendron. 
Styles 5, distinct; seeds wing-margined; capsule ovoid, 5-angled. 2. S. pentagyna. 
1. Stuartia Malachodéndron L,. Round-fruited 
Stuartia. (Fig. 2439.) 
Stewartia Malachodendron I,. Sp. Pl. 698. 1753- 
Stewartia Virginica Cav. Diss. 5: pl. 158. f. 2. 1787. 
A shrub, 6°-12° high, the branches pubescent when young. 
Leaves oval, acute or acuminate at each end, 2/-3/ long, 
114/-2/ wide, serrulate with mucronate-tipped teeth, pubes- 
cent below, glabrous above; petioles 2’/-4/’ long; flowers 
axillary, 3/-4’ broad, solitary or occasionally in pairs, very 
short-peduncled; sepals ovate or orbicular, obtuse, silky- 
pubescent, united at the base; petals white, sparingly pubes- 
cent on the under side, minutely crenulate; filaments purple; 
anthers blue; style 1, compound; stigma 5-lobed; capsule 
subglobose, 6’’-8’’ long, pubescent; seeds marginless. 
In woods, Virginia to Florida, west to Louisiana. April-May. 
* Original spelling Sfewartia. 
