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^ The Liberian Flora 



and globose carpels covered with hooked spines ; Kakatown, 

 W/ijte ! — The fibre of this plant is used by the natives for 

 ropes and twine. 



Hibiscus physaloides, Gui7/. and Ferr. : a tall hispid perennial with long- 

 stalked 5-angled or 5-lobed leaves, cordate at the base, and, 

 like all the following species of Hibiscus, yellow flowers with 

 a purple centre, not unlike those of a hollyhock, each flower 

 with an epicalyx (involucre) of lo filiform segments ; Kakatown, 

 Whyte ! 



H. surratensis, L. : a trailing or leaning prickly weed with long-stalked 

 deeply 3 — 5-lobed leaves, and an epicalyx of 10 — 12 spathulate 

 segments with leafy appendages ; Kakatown, Whyte ! 



H. rostellatus, Giiill. and Pen: : a suffrutescent very hispid prickly herb, 

 up to 10 ft. high, with long-stalked acutely 5-lobed leaves and 

 an epicaly.K of 10 linear segments with 3-partite appendages ; 

 Sino Basin,. Whyte ! 



*H. whytei, Stapf: a tall herb very sparingly covered with small 

 stellate hairs, with deltoid or ovate leaves on moderately long 

 stalks and short-pedicelled flowers in a terminal raceme, each 

 with an epicalyx of 10 linear segments ; Kakatown, Whyte ! 



H, guineensis, G. Don : a very tall herb, with a coarse stellate tomentum, 

 at length more or less rubbing off, broad ovate or rounded 

 3— -5-lobed leaves on long stalks, epicalyx of 5 linear segments, 

 and fruits somewhat longer than the caly.x ; about 70 miles up 

 the St. Paul's River, on native farms, Reynolds ! 



H. esculentus, L. : a tall hirsute herb with long-stalked 5-lobed leaves, 

 a caducous caly.x, a caducous epicaly.K of 10 — 12 linear segments 

 and acute grooved capsules, up to 6 in. long, on short stout 

 stalks ; near Monrovia, Whyte ! — The young fruits of this plant, 

 known in West Africa as " Gombo " or " Okro," are eaten as 

 a vegetable. It also yields an inferior fibre. 



H. abelmoschus, L. : very similar to the preceding species, but with 

 shorter never grooved capsules, i^ — 2 in. long, borne on long 

 rather slender stalks ; cultivated around huts near Grand Basa, 

 according to Vogel. — The seeds emit a musk-like odour when 

 heated, and are made into scent powders. The plant yields a 

 strong fibre. 



Gossypium peruvianum, Cav. (sens, lat.) : the " Kidney Cotton " ; 

 Kakatown, Whyte I — There are no fruits with the sample 



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