82 MALLOW. 
growth, affords an easy opportunity for discerning the charac- 
teristics of the genus Althea. The genus received its name 
already from Theophrastus in allusion to its medicinal use. 
Lavatera was dedicated to two Swiss philosophers of the last 
century. 
Along many, particularly the southern rivers of Victoria, a 
tall shrubby malvaceous plant, with racemes of white flowers, 
the Plagianthus pulchellus, is very conspicuous. It is one of 
several or many plants, named “Currijong” by the natives, on 
account of the 
Fie, XXXVII. textile bast, 
worked by them 
into cordage 
and nets. The 
plants of this 
genus are note- 
worthy for the 
unisexuality of 
most of their 
flowers, stami- 
nate and pistil- 
late blossoms 
being mostly 
produced on 
distinct plants. 
This is the main 
difference —_be- 
pion wig tween Plagian- 
a oi, ~6=s« thus and Sida, 
—_* unless the posi- 
tion of the stig- 
mas is alsotaken 
into considera- 
tion, lateral in 
ae ’ shan! the former, ter- 
Fie. XXXVII.—(Howittia trilocularis).—1, side-view of rae th 
half the flower ; 2, pollen-grains ; 3, fruit laidopen; 4, starry ee “a 
hair. latter genus. 
— = 
b . LU 
Cail 
3 
W 
a 
o 
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