4A 



PI. Coy. 25 ; Dalz. & Gibs. Bomb. Fl. 18. U. mtiricata, DC. Prodr. i. 

 442. U. Lappayo, DO. Prodr. i. 441. U. morifoUa, DC. Prodr. i. 442? 

 U. heterophijUa, Smith in Rees' Cycl. 37 ; Wall. Cat. 1933 E, F. G, H, 

 K. U. tomentosa, Wall. Cat. 1933 H. ;— Burm. Zeyl. t. 69, f. 2. 



Distributed like the last. 



Var. 2. scabrinscida, DC. Prod. i. 441 (sp.) ; hex'baceous ; leaves 

 roundish, scarcely lobed, with 1-3 glands beneath ; bracteoles linear, 

 longer than the sepals. U. scahriuscula, W&\\. Ca,t. 1928 F; W. & A. 

 Prodr. i. 46 ; Dalz. & Gibs. Bomb. Fl. 18. 



4. Hibiscus, Linn. 



Herbs, shrubs, or trees. Leaves stipulate, usually more or less pal- 

 mately-lobed. Inflorescence axillary, rarely terminal. Bracteoles 5 or 

 more, free, or connate at the base. Calyx 5-toothed or 5-fid, valvate, 

 sometimes spathaceous. Petals 5, connate at the base with the staminal- 

 tube. Staminal-tube truncate or 5-toothed at the summit; filaments 

 many ; anthers reniform, l-celled. Ovary 5-celled, cells opposite the 

 sepals, each with 3 or more ovules ; styles 5, connate below ; stigmas 

 capitate or sub-spathulate. Capsule loculicidally 5-valved, sometimes 

 ■with a separate endocarp, or with false dissepiments forming a spurious- 

 ly 10-celled fruit. Seeds glabrous, hairy or woolly. About 150 species ; 

 distributed chiefly in the tropical regions of both hemispheres. 



Calyx spathaceous, deciduous ... ... 1. H. Abesnioschiis. 



Calyx persistent, 5-cleft. 



Bracteoles of involucre distinct, their 



apices spathulate ... ... 2. H. Siirattensis. 



Bracteoles united at the base, nearly as 



long as the calyx ... ... 3. H. macrophijUus. 



Bracteoles united into a cup much shorter 

 than the calyx. 



Involucre and calyx softly pubescent 4. R. tiliaceous. 

 » » rugulose 5. H.floccosus. 



1. H. ABELMOiCHUS, Linn. Spec. 980. A stout annual under- 

 shrub 2 to 3 feet high : young branches and peduncles retro-hispid, all 

 other parts hispid or stellate-hispid. Leaves variable, usually with 3 to 

 5, deep, oblong-lanceolate or linear, serrate-crenate, acute lobes, some- 

 times hastate or sagittate, the base always rounded ; length and breadth 

 3 to 5 in. ; petiole longer than the blade : stipules minute, subulate, fuo-a- 

 ceous. Flowers 3 in. in diam., axillary, solitary; peduncles shorter than 

 the petioles, ebracteate. Livolucres 8 to 12, linear, o to 75 in. loner. 

 Calyx 1"25 ia. long, toothed at the apex. Corolla yellow with a crimson 



153 



