jitlostyKs:\ Malvacece. 



149 



2. p. zeylanica, Cav. Diss. iii. 134 (1787). 



Hibiscus zevlaiiiciis., Moon Cat. 50 (non L.). Thw. Enum 401 

 C. P. 3641. 



Fl. B. Ind. i. 331. Burm. Fl. Ind. t. 48, f. 3 (poor). 



A much-branched perennial herb, 2-4 ft., often shghtly 

 woody below, branches covered with short viscous pubescence 

 mixed with longer spreading hairs ; 1. small, under i in., 

 roundish, more or less deeply cut into 3 lobes, segm. often 

 wedge-shaped, coarsely serrate, petioles longer than 1., viscous- 

 pubescent ; fl. over \ in., numerous, crowded at the ends of 

 branches, ped. |-i in., viscous and hispid, jointed near the 

 top, bracteoles 8-10, slightly connate at very base, setaceous, 

 erect, with long, rigid, spreading hairs ; ripe carp, enclosed in 

 persistent bracteoles, rounded on back, smooth, with a narrow 

 prominent wing along each angle. 



Dry country in rocky ground ; rather rare. Trincomalie ; Mineri ; 

 Kattragam (Moon). Also near Colombo (Ferguson). Fl. Sept.; pink. 

 Peninsular India, Tropical Africa, and Mauritius. 

 In hot sunny places this is often extremely viscid. 



3. P. odorata, Willd. Sp. PL iii. 837 (1800). 



Fl. Zeyl. n. 266. Hibiscus zeylanicus, L. Sp. PI. 697. Thw. Enum. 26. 

 C. P. 1125. 



Fl. B. Ind. i. 331. 



An erect, branched, annual herb, i|-3 ft., stems covered 

 with soft, viscous pubescence and a few longer hairs ; 1. \-2\ 

 in., roundish-ovate, cordate at base, shallowly 3-5 lobed, the 

 lobes acute, dentate, stellate-hairy on both sides, often felted 

 and whitish beneath, petioles longer than 1,; fl. as in the last, 

 but rather larger, bracteoles 11-14, setaceous, with copious 

 long spreading hairs ; ripe carp, gibbous on back, without 

 any wing along the angles, glabrous or hairy. 



Dry country; rather common. Batticaloa; Hambantota; Gona- 

 gama ; Dambulla ; Ekiriankumbura. 



Fl. Dec-April ; pale pink or white. 



Distribution of P. zeylanica. 



Hermann's specimen is certainly rather P. odorata than P. zeylanica^ 

 and Linnaeus' description of it also agrees with the former. 



6. JUIiOSTVIiZS, Thw. 



Tree ; fl. in large, lax panicles ; bracteoles 4, connate be- 

 low; sep. 5, connate below; pet. 5, slightly connate at base 

 and adnate to staminal tube ; stam.-tube 5-toothed at apex, 

 bearing below the middle 10 reniform anth. on long fil.; ov. 

 2-celled, with two erect ovules in each cell, styles 2, woolly, 



