NAT. ORDER, 



MalvacecB. 



LAVATEKA TEIMESTRIS. ANNUAL LAVATERA. 



Class XVI. MoNADELPHiA. Order VII. Polyandria. 



Gen. Char. Calyx, five-cleft, g-irded by a three or five-cleft involu- 

 are, Leajiefs, pined, especially to the middle. Carpels, capsular, 

 one-seeded, disposed into an orb aroundthe axis, which is various- 

 ly dilated above the fruit. 



Spe. Cliar. Stem, herbaceous, scabrous. Leaves, smoothish, round- 

 ish-cordate ; upper ones lobed. Pedicels, solitary. 



Lavatera is a genus of plants of the herbaceous, shrubby, peren- 

 nial kinds. This species has an annual fibrous root, full of thick fibres, 

 a foot in length, with innumerable other capillaiy fibres ; the stem is 

 round, rugged, five or six feet high, and very much branched ; the 

 leaves are on long petioles, very soft, tomentose, toothed, seven-angled^ 

 the angles of the upper one sharper ; the stipules are lanceolate, cilate, 

 bowing at the bottom, and then erect ; the flowers are axillary, about 

 four together, and placed on upright peduncles ; the outer calyx is 

 cup-shaped, with ovate segments ; the inner one is a little longer, five- 

 cornered above, with lanceolate segments ; the corolla is twice the 

 length of the calyx, pale blue, with oblong emarginate petals ; the 

 germ is orbicular-fiatted and ten-grooved ; the stigmas are ten in num- 

 ber ; the fruit is smooth, within the calyx ; the capsules are ten, 

 round a column terminated by a hemisphere with a very small point 

 at the top, disappearing when the fruit is ripe, and leaving a hole in 

 the middle of the capsules, which then turn black. It is a native of 

 the island of Candia, or Crete, and flowers in July. It sometimes 

 possesses red, white, or purple flowers. 



Vol. III.— 164. 



