Hibiscus?^ Malvacece. 1 5 5 



capsule \ in., globose, shorter than cal., covered with dense, 

 appressed, bristly hairs ; seeds densely pubescent. 



Dry country ; rare. Atakalan Korale (Thwaites) ; Anuradhapura. 

 Fl. July, August ; yellow, with a purple centre. 

 India, Trop. Africa, and Australia. 



8-. H. Solandra, V Merit. Stirp. i. 103 (1784). 



Lagnnea lobata, Willd.; Thw. Enum. 27. C. P. 67. 

 Fl. B. Ind. i. 336. Lam. 111. t. 580 {Solandra lobata). 



An erect annual, i-2|-ft., stem slightly branched, pubescent 

 or slightly hispid ; lower 1. ovate, upper ones more or less 

 deeply 3-lobed, uppermost ones often deeply 3-fid or even 

 3-foliolate, all cordate at base, acute, coarsely serrate, hairy on 

 both sides, petioles as long as or longer than leaves, of the 

 upper leaves shorter, stip. setaceous ; fl, few, \ in., distant, 

 forming an erect terminal raceme, ped. i in., jointed near top, 

 pubescent, bracteoles o ; sep. connate for one-third, triangular- 

 lanceolate, acute, 3-veined, hairy ; capsule ovoid, pointed, 

 hairy at top, as long as sep. ; seeds smooth. 



Roadsides and waste places in the dry region ; common. Fl. Dec- 

 March ; pink. 



Also in India, Burma, and E. Trop. Africa. 



The flowers are described in Fl. B. Ind. as ' yellow ; ' here they are 

 always pink. I have never seen any trace of bracteoles. 



9. K. ficulneus, L. Sp. PL 695 (1753). 



Bunn. Thes. 137. Fl. Zeyl. n. 263. Moon Cat. 51. Abelmoschus 

 Jiculnetcs, W. and A., Thw. Enum. 27. C. P. 11 57. 



Fl. B. Ind. i. 340. Wight, Ic. t. 154. Dill, Hort. Elth. i. t. 157. 



A large annual herb, stem, stout, glabrous or pubescent or 

 with a few prickles, slightly branched ; 1. few, roundish in out- 

 line, more or less cut palmately into 3-5 lobes, base cordate, 

 lobes usually obovate or spathulate, serrate, hairy on both 

 sides, petioles as long as 1., pubescent or slightly prickly, stip. 

 setaceous, soon falling ; fl, 2^ in., secund, the upper in axils 

 of quickly falling bracts and forming an erect, naked, terminal 

 raceme, ped. ^ in., stout, hairy, dilated at top, bracteoles very 

 small, 5-6, setaceous, caducous in very young bud ; sep. 

 connate for nearly whole length, the free filiform ends forming 

 a long tip to the unopened buds, densely pubescent, caducous ; 

 capsule i-| in,, oval-oblong, shortly beaked, 5-angled, hispid 

 especially on the angles ; seeds globose, striate, hairy. 



Low country, chiefly in the dry region ; rare. Colombo (Moon) ; 

 borders of Mineri Tank (Thwaites) ; Allai Tank, Kottiyar (Nevill) ; 

 Jaffna. Fl. Jan.-March ; white or pinkish, with a purplish-pink centre. 



Also in Peninsular India, but often cultivated. 



