330 Plants and their Ways in South Africa 



The stamens are always joined to form a tube (monadelphous), 

 and attached to the petals at the base, so that the corolla 

 is slightly gamopetalous. The stamens branch at the top, 

 so that a great many half anthers are present (anthers with but 

 one cell). The fruit is a capsule or a schizocarp with several 

 carpels ; placentation axile. The flower-stalk is jointed below 

 the flower. Seeds often hairy. The cotton plant {Gossypium) 

 belongs to this order. 



Herbs, shrubs, or trees, with alternate, stipulate leaves. 

 Flowers solitary or in cincinni. 



A. Fruit of separate carpels. Stamens bearing anthers at or to the 

 very top. 

 B. Stigmas as many as the carpels. 

 C. Styles thread-like. 



Althea. — Epicalyx 6-9-leaved 

 Malva. — Epicalyx 3-leaved. 

 CC. Stigmas cushion-like. 



D. Epicalyx present, 3-parted. 



Malvastrum. — Carpels with i ovule. 

 Sphaeralcea. — Carpels with 2-3 ovules. 

 DD. Epicalyx wanting. 



Sida. — Carpels i-seeded. 

 Abutilon. — Carpels 3-12-seeded. 

 BB. Stigmas twice as many as the carpels. 

 Pavonia. — Epicalyx of 5-20 leaves. 

 AA. Fruit a capsule. Stamen tube 5-toothed at the apex.^ Stigmas 

 cushion-shaped (capitate). 



Hibiscus. — Ovary 5-celled. Epicalyx of 5-many bracts. 



Malvastrum. — A shrub or herb with purple flowers (rose- 

 red or red and white), borne on short stalks in the axiles of the 

 leaves, singly or in racemes. The leaves and stems are often 

 sticky, softly downy, or covered with bristles. 



Sida. — A low-growing shrubby plant with small white or 

 yellow flowers (rarely purple). The flowers open for a short 

 time about noon. The stigmas ripen at the same time as the 

 anthers. (The stigmas reach out among the anthers and help 

 themselves to pollen.) Flies sometimes visit the flowers. 



Abutilon. — Shrubs or herbs, erect or prostrate, with soft 



1 The teeth are regarded by some as the remnant of the outer whorl 

 of stamens. 



