468 SYSTEMATIC BOTANY. 



Sida cordifolia and S. 7nauritiatia have demulcent and emollient properties. 

 S. Innceolata has a very bitter root, which is reputed to be a valuable stomachic. 

 Many plants of the order have showy flowers, and are cultivated in our 

 gardens and stoves ; for example, the Allhcea rosea. (Hollyhocks), Abutilon, 

 Hibiscus, Sifia, &c. Hibiscus mutabilis, is remarkable for the changing 

 colour of its flowers, which vary in a single day from a cream-coloured rose to a 

 rich rose or pink colour. 



Natural Order 29. Sterculiace^. — The Silk-Cotton Order. 

 — General Character. — Trees or shrubs. Leaves alter- 

 nate, simple or compound, with deciduous stipules. Flowers 

 usually perfect, sometimes by abortion unisexual, regular or 

 irregular, often surrounded by an involucre. Calyx and corolla 

 resembling the Malvace£e, always, however, having five parts; 

 the petals are, moreover, sometimes absent. Stamens united 

 by their filaments into a column, or monadelphous, indefinite ; 

 anthers 2-celled, extrorse. Carpels 3 or 5, either distinct, or 

 united so as to form a compound ovary, often stalked ; sti/les 

 equal in number to the carpels, distinct or united ; ovules 

 usually definite, sometimes indefinite. Fruit either composed 

 of a number of follicles, or capsular (Ji(/. 69 1), or rarely baccate. 

 Seeds with fleshy oily albumen, or none ; embi-yo straight or 

 curved ; cotyledons plicate, or rolled round the plumule. 



Diagnosis. — The plants of this order are at once known 

 among the Thalamifloral Exogens, by their valvate 5-parted 

 calyx ; contorted corolla consisting of 5 distinct petals ; nu- 

 merous perfect stamens united by their filaments into a column ; 

 and 2-celled extrorse anthers. The character presented by 

 the anthers should be particularly noticed, as that alone at 

 once distinguishes them from the Malvaceaj and Byttneriacese, 

 which in many other respects they closely resemble. It should 

 also be observed, that the flowers of some of the Sterculiaceae 

 are unisexual by abortion. 



Division of the Order, ^c. — This order has been divided into 

 three tribes as follows : — 

 Tril)e 1. Bombacece. — Leaves palmate or digitate, flowers perfect. 



Examples : — Adansonia, Eriodendron, Bombax, Cheiroste- 



mon, Durio, Ochroma. 

 Tribe 2. Helicterece. — Leaves simple, flowers perfect. Examples : 



— Matisia, Helicteres. 

 Tribe 3. StercuHea.-'Lea.ycR simple or palmate, flowers uni- 

 sexual by abortion. Examples : — Heriiicra, Sterculia, Bra- 



chychiton. 



Distribution, 8fc. — Natives of the tropics, or of very warm 

 regions. The Bombacece arc chiefly found in America, the 

 Sterculicfc mostly in India and Africa. None of the Helictercce 

 occur in Africa. Lindloy enumerates 37 genera, and 128 ^ 

 species as belonging to tliis order. 



Properties and Uses. — In their properties the plants of this 

 order resemble the INIalvacciB, thus, they are generally muci- 



