MALVACE.*;. (MALLOW FAMILY.) 45 



ORDER 17. MALVACE.ZE. (MALLOW FAMILY.) 



Mucilaginous herbs or shrubs, with palmately veined alternate stip- 

 ulate leaves, and regular nionadelphous flowers on jointed peduncles. 

 Sepals 5, united at the base, valvate in the bud, persistent, often 

 with a calyx-like involucel. Petals 5, convolute in the bud. Stamens 

 numerous, united into a column which is continuous with the claws of 

 the petals: anthers 1-celled, opening transversely. Ovaries united 

 into a ring, or forming a several-celled capsule Styles separate or 

 united. Seeds kidney-shaped. Albumen scarce or none. Embryo 

 large, curved, with leafy cotyledons. Pubescence commonly stellate. 

 Pollen grains hispid. 



Synopsis. 



TRIBE I. MALTESE. Carpels as many as the stigmas, 1 - few-seeded, disposed in a 

 circle around a central axis, separating at maturity from the axis and from each other. 

 Anthers borne at the apex of the column. 



* Carpels 1-seeded. 

 -i- Stigmas occupying the inner face of the styles. 



1. MALVA. Carpels beakless. No process within. 



2. CALLIRRHOE. Carpels beaked, and bearing a dorsal process above the seed within. 



-i- <- Stigmas capitate. 



3. MALVASTRUM. Involucel 2- 3-leaved. Ovule peritropous-ascending. Radicle inferior. 



4. SID A. Involucel none. Ovule resupinate-pendulous. Radicle superior. 



* * Carpels 2 - few-seeded. 



5. ABUTILON. Carpels 1-celled. Involucel none. 



C. MODIOLA. Carpels transversely 2-celled. Involucel 3 leaved. 



TRIBE II. URENE^E. Carpels half as many as the stigmas, separating at maturity. 

 Anthers borne above the middle of the column. 



7. PAVONIA. Involucel 5- 15-leaved. Flowers axillary or racemose. 



8. TJRENA. Involucel 5-cleft. Flowers racemose. Carpels hispid. 



9. MALACHRA. Involucel none. Flowers capitate. 



TRIBE III. HIBISCE^E. Carpels as many as the stigmas, united and forming at ma- 

 turity a loculicidal capsule. Column bearing the anthers throughout, or from above 

 the middle. 



10. KOSTELDTZKYA. Cells of the depressed capsule 1-seeded. 



11. HIBISCUS. Cells of the globose or oblong capsule few - many-seeded. 



12. THESPESIA. Capsule indehiscent, Involucel 3-leaved, entire. 



13. GOSSYPIUM. Capsule dehiscent. Involucel 3-leaved, gashed. 



14. FUGOSIA. Capsule dehiscent. Involucel of G - 9 subulate leaves. 



1. MALVA, L. MALLOW. 



Involucel 3-leaved, persistent. Petals obcordate. Styles 9-20, filiform, 

 stigmatic on the inner face. Carpels broadly reniform, beakless, 1-seeded, in- 

 dehiscent, disposed in a circle around the central axis, from which they sep- 

 arate at maturity. Embryo nearly annular. Radicle inferior. Herbs. 

 Leaves rounded Flowers axillary, not yellow. 



1. M. rotundifolia, L. Ptems several, prostrate ; leaves long-petiole. 1. 

 round-cordate, crenate and crenately-lobed ; flowers single or clustered, white 

 veined with purple; carpels even. Around dwellings. Introduced. %. 



