154 Malvacecs. \_Hibisais. 



lanceolate, acute, hairy, much longer than bracteoles ; pet. 

 oblong, obtuse, retlexed ; capsule small, over \ in., nearly 

 globose, smooth ; seeds horseshoe - shaped, black, covered 

 with copious long cottony hair. 



Dry region ; common. Fl. Feb., &c. ; white. 

 Throughout India, and in Arabia and Trop. Africa. 

 First collected by Koenig (//. rii^idus L. f. . 

 A valued febrifuge medicine. 



6. H. vitifolius, L. Sp. PL 696 (1753). niaha-epala, .b". 

 Vaddattutti, T. 



Herm. I-lort. Lugd.-Bat. 26. Burm. Thes. 137. Fl. Zeyl. n. 265. 

 Moon Cat. 51. Thw. Enum. 26. C. P. 1122. 

 Fl. B. Ind. i. 338. Herm. Hort. Lugd.-Bat. 28. 



A tall, much - branched perennial herb, stems 3-5 ft., 

 slender, wholly pubescent or with a line of pubescence down 

 one side ; 1. generally small, 1-2 in., cordate at base, pal- 

 mately 3-5 lobcd, lobes acute, the middle one the longest, 

 serrate, glabrous or with a few stellate hairs beneath, stip. 

 very small, setaceous ; fl. rather large, 2\ in., drooping, ped. 

 over \ in., bracteoles 5-8, setaceous, distinct, hairy; sep. con- 

 nate half-way, twice as long as bracteoles, lanceolate, acute, 

 pubescent ; capsule surrounded by the enlarged spreading 

 cal., I in. diam., depressed, apiculatc, 5-winged, hairy; seeds 

 dark brown, tubercled. 



Low country, especially in the dry region ; common. Fl. Aug.-Sept. ; 

 bright sulphur yellow with red purple centre. 

 Also in India, Trop. Africa, and Australia. 

 A very pretty species. 



H. caniiabinus^ L. (C. P. 3833) is found near cooly lines, or as an 

 occasional roadside weed (see Thw. Enum. 401), but is not a native plant 

 nor much cultivated. It is figured in Roxb. Cor. PI. t. 190, but its native 

 country is doubtful. 



H. Sabdariffli, L. is cultivated in gardens, and occasionally occurs 

 wild. There is a drawing of it in Hermann's Herb., and it is Fl. Zeyl. n. 

 262. Generally known as ' Rozelle.' 



7. K. panduraeformis, Burin. FL Ind. 151 (1768). 

 Thw. Enum. 26. C. P. 352S. 



Fl. B. Ind. i. 338. Burm. Fl. Ind. t. 47, f. 2 (bad). 



Annual or perennial, stem 2-3 ft., slightly branched, covered 

 with fine dense pubescence and scattered rigid tufted hairs ; 

 1. i!-3 in., ovate, cordate at base, acute, often slightly 3-lobed, 

 dentate-serrate, densely tomentose-velvety on both sides, 

 whiti.sh beneath, petioles often as long as 1. ; fl. on very short 

 stout tomentose ped., articulated below the middle, bracteoles 

 7-10, connate at base, erect, spathulate-lincar ; sep. connate 

 two-thirds, acute, longer than bracteoles, 3-veined, hairy ; 



