MALVACEAE 



769 



6. Malvastrum leptophyllum A. Gray. Perennial, scaly pubescent with silvery 

 peltate and fringed hairs. Stems usually densely branched at the base, the branches wiry : 

 leaves various, the lower ones with 3-cleft or 3-parted blades and short petioles, the upper 

 leaves with narrow or filiform blades : flowers few, in interrupted terminal racemes, short- 

 pedicelled : calyx silvery; lobes triangular or triangular-ovate, 2-2.5 cm. long: petals 

 copper-red, about 1 cm. long : carpels 9-10, pubescent, surpassing the calyx, the back 

 rounded, the sides reticulated. 



In dry soil, southern Utah to Texas and New Mexico. Spring to fall. 



7. Malvastrum coccineum (Pursh) A. Gray. Perennial, silvery stellate-canes- 

 cent. Stems erect or ascending, usually branched at the base, the branches 1-3 dm. long : 

 leaves with petioles and palmately 3-5-parted blades, the segments cuneate to linear, irreg- 

 ularly toothed or incised : flowers in terminal racemes : pedicels several mm. long : calyx 

 tomentose ; lobes triangular-lanceolate, about as long as the tube : petals of various shades 

 of red, 11-17 mm. long : carpels 10-15, rugose-reticulated, more or less woolly. 



On prairies and plains, Manitoba and British Columbia to Texas and New Mexico. Spring to fall . 



8. SIDA L. 



Annual or perennial herbs, or shrubby plants, with pubescent foliage. Leaves alter- 

 nate : blades various, commonly relatively narrow, usually toothed, sometimes with dis- 

 colored margins. Flowers perfect, solitary or clustered in the axils of the leaves or some- 

 times in terminal spikes or racemes. Involucels wanting or rarely of 1-3 bractlets. Sepals 

 5, partially united into a usually angular base. Petals 5, of various colors, delicate. 

 Carpels 5-many, 1-celled. Styles filiform or nearly so. Stigmas usually capitate. Ovules 

 solitary. Mature carpels disposed around an axis, unarmed, or prolonged into a single 

 or double beak or spine, indehiscent or partially 2-valved. Seed pendulous, 3-angled, fill- 

 ing the cavity. 



Calyx accompanied by 1-3 slender bractlets. 

 Petals yellow : carpels acuminate. 

 Petals copper-colored : carpels obtuse. 

 Calyx not accompanied by bractlets. 



Calyx accrescent, membranous or scarious at maturity. 

 Calyx not accrescent. 



Flowers or flower-clusters in leafy involucres at the ends of the branches. 

 Flowers or flower-clusters axillary or sometimes in terminal panicles. 

 Leaf-blades palmately lobed : petals white. 

 Leaf-blades merely toothed : petals of various colors. 

 Calyx 5-angled. 



Stems or branches decumbent or prostrate. 



Petals mostly over 6 mm. long, conspicuously surpassing the; 



calyx. 

 Stems or branches merely canescent-puberulent : calyx-lobes 



acute, about as long as the tube. 



Stems or branches with spreading hairs : calyx-lobes acumi- 

 nate, longer than the tube. 



Petals mostly less than 6 mm. long, slightly surpassing the calyx. 

 Stems erect or ascending. 

 Leaf-blades cordate. 



Leaf-blades acute, rounded or truncate at the base. 

 Leaf-blades ovate to cuneate or lanceolate. 



Peduncles, at least those arising from the stem, much 



longer than the pedicels. 



Peduncles'shorter than the pedicels or only slightly longer. 

 Stem-leaves with petioles less than 1 cm. long. 

 Stem-leaves with petioles over 1 cm. long. 

 Leaf-blades linear or linear-oblong. 



Peduncles, and usually both peduncle and pedicel, 



shorter than the subtending leaves. 

 Calyx less than 6 mm. high at maturity. 

 Calyx over 8 mm. high at maturity. 



Leaf-blades and calyx with red margins. 



Leaf-blades of a narrowly linear type : mature 



carpels 4-5 mm. high. 

 Leaf-blades broader : mature carpels 3-4 mm. 



high. 



Leaf-blades and calyx with green margins, not dis- 

 colored. 



Peduncles less than 1 cm. long. 

 Peduncles over 1 cm. long. 

 Peduncles conspicuously elongated, much surpassing the 



subtending leaves. 

 Calyx not angled, subglobose in the tud. 



1. Sida cuneifolia A. Gray. Perennial, tomentulose-canescent. 



1. S. cuneifolia. 



2. S. Helleri. 



3. S. hastata. 



4. S. ciliaris. 



5. S. hermaphrodite,. 



6. S. jttiformis. 



7. S. diffusa. 



8. <S'. supina. 



9. S. cordtfolia. 



10. S. rhombifolia. 



11. S. acuta. 



12. S. spinosa. 



13. S. angustifolia. 



14. S. Ettiottii. 



15. S. rubromarginata. 



16. S. leptophytta. 



17. S. Texana. 



18. S. longipes. 



19. S.filipes. 



Stems branched at 

 the base, the branches ascending, 2-6 dm. long, often again branched : leaf-blades cunei- 



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