158 MahacCiC. [Thcspesia. 



L. 3-Iobed, stellate-tomentose i. T. Lampas. 



L. entire, covered v/ith peltate scales . . . . 2. T. populnea. 



1. T. Iiampas, Dais, and Gibs. Bomb. Fl. 19 (1861). 

 Hibiscus Lampas, Cav., Thw. Enum. 26. C. P. 3555. 

 Fl. B. Ind. i. 345. Wight, Ic. t. 5. 



A shrub or very small tree, branched from the base, young 

 parts tomentose with brown stellate hair ; 1. 3-4^ in., cordate 

 at base, palmately cut into 3 acute lobes, entire, stellate- 

 pilose above, densely stellate-tomentose beneath, petiole 

 ^-i in. ; fl. large, 3^ in., on short ped. dilated at top, 2 or 3 

 in stalked axillary racemes, bracteoles about 5, very small, 

 distant, subulate, deciduous ; cal. cup-shaped, with 5 subulate 

 distant teeth on the truncate margin, stellate-pilose, per- 

 sistent ; capsule i in., ovoid, pointed, stellate-pilose, sur- 

 rounded at base by persistent cal., 4 or 5-valved ; seeds 

 glabrous. 



Dry country ; apparently very rare. In plenty near Bibile, Uva Prov., 

 where it was first noticed by Thwaites in 1858. Fl. Feb.; bright yellow, 

 with a crimson centre. 



Through India, Burma, Java, and E. Trop. Africa. 



2. T. populnea, Soland. ex Corr. in A?ui. Mus. ix. 290 (1807). 

 Suriya, S. Kavarachu, Puvarachu, T. 



Herm. Mus. 40. Fl. Zeyl. n. 258. Hibiscus pofiulneus, L. Sp. PI. 

 694 ; Moon Cat. 50. Thw. Enum. 27. C. P. 1121. 



Fl. B. Ind. i. 345. Bedd. Fl. Sylv. t. 63. Wight, Ic. t. 8. 



A small, much -branched, spreading tree, bark rugged, 

 young twigs covered with peltate scales ; 1. 3-5 in., broadly 

 ovate, cordate at base, attenuate, acute, entire, undulate, pal- 

 mately 7-veined, more or less covered on both sides with 

 minute peltate scales, with a glandular pore between the bases 

 of the veins beneath, petioles 1-3 in., .stip. subulate, deciduous ; 

 fl. about 2 in. diam., axillary, solitary, campanulate, ped. 

 i-i o in., bracteoles o or very early deciduous ; cal. cup-shaped, 

 truncate, the teeth very faintly marked ; capsule about i in., 

 depressed-globose, somewhat lobed, surrounded at base by 

 persistent cal., more or less covered with peltate scales, 

 irregularly dehiscent or indehiscent ; seeds woolly, large, 

 compressed. 



On the sea-coast; wild in the dry districts, but usually planted in the 

 moist ones. Trincomalie, abundant ; Batticaloa ; Kalpiliya ; Jaftna ; 

 Mannar. Fl. all the year ; yellow, passing into purplish-pink when 

 withering. 



On the shores of the Eastern Tropics generally. 



A favourite tree in our maritime towns, where it was largely planted 

 by the Dutch as an avenue and shade tree. From the shape of the 

 flowers it is known as 'Tulip-tree' by the English. It rijiens seed only 

 in the dry region. 



