106 XXV. MA.LTACE^. 



3. Hibiscus furcatus, Willd. Enum. (1809) p. 736. Suffrutescent, 

 rambling or climbing ; stem thinly covered with recurA'ed prickles from 

 tliickeued colored bases. Leaves 2^-3 in. long, clothed with appressed 

 hairs, palmatel}' 3-5-lobed, cordate or truncate at the base, prickly on 

 the ner\es beneath, crenate-serrate ; lobes acute or acuminate ; petioles 

 2-4 in. long, prickly. Calyx enlarged in fruit, deeply divided ; lobes 

 lanceolate, hispid with stiS bristles from thickened bases. Involucral 

 bracts 8-12, variable, a prevalent form consisting of a stout stalk, across 

 the top of which is attached a small oblong leafy appendagv% which is 

 prolonged upwards into a curved horn, all densely hispid. Flower-buds 

 with a tuft of hairs at the apex ; corolla large, 3 in. in diam., yellow 

 with purple centre. Capsules ^ in. long, ovoid, pointed, enclosed in the 

 enlarged calyx. Fl. B. I. v. l,"'p. 335; Dalz. & Gibs. p. 19; Talb. Trees, 

 Bomb. p. 19; Trim. Fl. Ceyl. v. 1, p. 152; Woodr. in Jouru. Bomb. 

 Nat. V. 11 (1897) p. 127; Watt, Diet. Econ. Prod, v, 4, p. 241.— Flowers: 

 Dec.-Feb. 



KoNKAN : Talbot, Stocks !, Ritchie, 58 ! ; Bombay, Law ! ; Sawantwari, Woodrow I ; 

 Gh;its near Goa, C'ooZre I S. M. Country: Castlerock, Coolel Ramghat, -fftYc/ife ! — 

 DisTRiB. Tropics of the Old World. 



4. Hibiscus radiatus, Cav. Diss. 3 (1787) p. 150, t. 54, fig. 2. A 

 tall undershrub, 5-() ft. high ; branches armed with small prickles. 

 Leaves 3 by 2 in., sometimes entire, ovate-acute, usually palmately 

 lobed ; lobes narrow- or broad-lanceolate, serrate ; petioles up to 3g in. 

 long, armed with distant prickles ; stipules lineai', with stiff bristles from 

 spinous or thickened bases. Pedicels ^-1 in. long. Involucral bracts 

 8-10, very often forked, linear, shorter than the calyx. Calyx-lobes | in. 

 long, ovate, acuminate, Avith reflexed bristle-pointed prickles on the 

 margins. Corolla large, bell-shaped, yellow with purple base ; petals 

 spreading horizontally. Capsules ovoid, beaked, densely hairy. Seeds 

 smooth. Fl. B. 1. v. 1, p. 335 ; Cxuerke, in Mart. Fl. Bras. v. 12, part 3, 

 p. 559; not Woodr. in Journ. Bomb. Nat. v. 11 (1897) p. 127. 



Deccan : Pbunda Giii'it, Ritchie ! 



A rare jjlant in the Bouibay Presidency. A single fragment, marked as above in Herb. 

 Kew. is the only Bombay specimen I have seen. Tiie plant named H. radiatus by 

 Woodrow in Jonrn. Bomb. Nat. is H. cmsiiis, Garcke. — Distrus. Malaya, Java. 



5. Hibiscus hirtus, Linn. Sp. PI. (1753) p. 694. Shrubby, hairy. 

 Leaves 3-5 by 1-21 in., oblong, acute or acuminate (the lower often 

 shortly lobed) crenate, serrate, or irregularly toothed, more or less 

 stellately haii'y on both surfaces; petioles |-1.7 in. long, hairy ; stipules 

 2 in. long, subulate. Pedicels 1-2| in. long. Involucral bracts 6-9, 

 subulate, shorter than the calyx. Calyx hairy, divided nearly to the 

 base ; lobes g in. long, narrow-lanceolate. Corolla about 1 in. in diam., 

 white or occasionally pink. Staminal-tube toothed at tlie top; anthers 

 in tufts. Capsules globose. Seeds clothed with long white hairs. Fl. 

 B. I. v. 1, p. 335 ; Grab. Cat. p. 14 ; Dalz. & Gibs. p. 20 : Woodr. in 

 Journ, Bomb. Nal. v. 1 1 (1897) ]). 127. — Flowers: Oct. -Jan. Veen. 

 Dvpdri. 



1 cannot find the large gland on the underside of the midrib mentioned 

 by Masters (Fl. \^. I. 1. c). 



Very common all along the lower Ghiits. Konkan: Stocks, 13!; Bombay, Capt. 

 Gfhurne I ; below Matiieran, Cooke I I)k(i an : Kliaiidala, I'oona, Tidligaiim, Jfyoftfrow! ; 

 below Phunda Uh.'il, liifchie, 48 I 



