152 Malvacece. [Hibiscus. 



1. K. surattensis, L. Sp. PL 696(1753). Hin-napiritta, S. 



Herm. Mus. 65. Burm. Thes. 135. Fl. Zeyl. n. 264. Moon Cat. 5;. 

 Thw. Enum. 26. C. P. 11 18. 



Fl. B. Ind. i. 334. Wight, Ic. t. 197. 



An annual (?), erect or straggling herb, stem weak, 

 slightly branched, glabrous or hairy, more or less set with 

 small rcflexed horny prickles ; 1. 2-3 in., on pricl:ly petioles of 

 equal length, roundish, deeply cut into 3-5, oblong, acute 

 segments, serrate, thin, hairy on both sides, stip. broad, semi- 

 cordate, auricled, long-ciliatc ; fl. i^ in., ped. stiff, horizontally 

 spreading, about as long as petioles or somewhat shorter, 

 prickly, bractcoles 10-12, linear, bristly, lower half spreading, 

 upper half erect, furnished at the middle with a large hori- 

 zontally spreading leafy appendage ; sep. connate at base, 

 very acute, smooth with prickly apex, as long as bracteoles ; 

 capsule hairy. 



Low country in bushy places ; very common, especially in the dry 

 region. Fl. Dec. -Feb. ; yellow with a purple centre. 



Throughout Tropical Asia, Africa, and Australia. 



2. K. furcatus, Roxb. Hoj-f. Beng. 51 (1814). Napiritta, S. 



Thw. Enum. 26. C. P. 727, 

 Fl. B. Ind. i. 335. 



A large scrambling or climbing semi-shrubby perennial, 

 stem more or less tomentose or glabrous, set with numerous 

 scattered sharp decurved hooked prickles ; 1. 2-3 in., roundish 

 in outline, deeply palmately cut into 3-5 lanceolate, acute, 

 strongly serrate segm. (the lower 1. often nearly entire), gla- 

 brous or pubescent, usually very prickly on the veins beneath, 

 petioles as long as or longer than 1., stout, horizontal, cylin- 

 drical, very prickly, stip. linear-lanceolate ; fl. large, 2^-4 in., 

 ped. 1-3 in., very prickly, bracteoles 10-12, linear-setaceous, 

 bristly, lower half spreading or reflexed, upper half erect, 

 with a small deflexed leafy appendage at the middle ; sep. 

 connate half way, ovate, very acute, bristly, much enlarged 

 in fruit ; capsule conical-ovoid, sharp-pointed, A in., enclosed 

 in thickened and enlarged connivent cal., covered with very 

 coarse apprcssed bristly hair ; seed compressed, rough with 

 scattered papillae, grey-brown. 



Low country ; very common, climbing over trees and bushes. Fl. 

 Dec.-Feb. ; yellow, with dark crimson centre. 



Tropical Asia and Africa generally. 



This is a very handsome climber, but excessively prickly. There 

 seems to be no published figure of this common plant. 



3. H. collinus, Roxb. Hort. Beng. 51 (1814). 

 H. eriocarpiis, DC, Thw. Enum. 26. C. P. 11 19. 

 Fl. B. Ind. i. 338. 



