90 STERCULfA FAMILY. 



cles slender ; corolla 4 f -6 r broad, pale rose or white, with or without a 

 darker center ; pod smooth. Swamps, mostly brackish, near the Great 

 Lakes E. and coastwise to Tex. 



H. lasiocarpus, Cav. HAIRY-FRUITED R. Like the last, but leaves 

 soft-downy both sides, and pod velvety-hairy. Swamps, 111. to Tex., E. 

 to Ga. 



H. Ca/ifdrnicus, Kellogg. CALIFORNIA** R. Has large white flowers 

 with a purple center on jointed peduncles, young leaves and growth 

 velvety, and cordate-acuminate rarely obscurely 3-lobed, crenate or dentate 

 leaves, longer than the petiole. Cult. 



*- - Exotic low species, in gardens or escaped. (I) 



H. Trionum, Linn. BLADDER KETMIA or FLOWER-OF-AN-HOUR. Rather 

 hairy, l-2 high ; leaves toothed, or the upper 3-parted into lanceolate 

 lobes, the middle lobe longest ; calyx inflated and bladdery ; corolla about 

 2' broad, sulphur-yellow with a blackish eye, open only in midday sunshine. 



* * * Herbs, with calyx splitting down one side, and generally falling off 

 at once, and with long or narrow pyramidal or angled pod; native of 

 East Indies. 



H. esculentus, Linn. OKRA or GOMBO. Nearly smooth ; leaves rounded 

 heart-shaped, 5-lobed, toothed ; greenish-yellow flowers on slender peduncle 

 (involucel falling early); pods narrow, 3' or 4 long, very mucilaginous, 

 and when green cooked and eaten, or used to thicken soups. Cult. 



12. GOSSYPIUM, COTTON. (Name given by Pliny, from the 

 Arabic. ) Plants now diffused over warm countries, most valuable for 

 the wool on the seeds ; the species much confused. 



G. herbaceum, Linn. COMMON COTTON. Leaves with 5 short and 

 roundish lobes ; petals pale yellow or turning rose-color, purple at base. 

 (D Cult. S. 



G. Barbadense, Linn. BARBADOES or SEA-!SLAND C. Inclining to be 

 shrubby at base ; branches .black-dotted ; leaves with 5 longer lance- 

 ovate and taper-pointed lobes ; leaves of the involucre with very long and 

 slender teeth ; petals yellowish or whitish, with purple base. Cult, on the 

 coast and upland S. 



G. arbbreum, Linn. TREE C. Leaves with 5-7 nearly lanceolate and 

 taper-pointed lobes of involucre, slightly toothed ; corolla purple with a 

 darker center. Cult. S. as a curiosity. 



XXII. STERCULIACEjE, STERCULIA FAMILY. 



Chiefly a tropical family, to which belongs the THEOBROMA 

 or CHOCOLATE TREE ; in common cultivation known here only 

 by a single species of 



J. MAHERNIA. (Name an anagram of Hermannia, a genus very 

 like it.) Calyx, corolla, tc f , as in the Mallow Family ; but the stamens 

 only 5, one before each petal ; the filaments monadelphous only at the 

 base and enlarged about the middle, and the anthers with 2 parallel 

 cells. The edges of the base of the petals rolled inwards, making a 

 hollow claw. Ovary 5-^celled, with several ovules in each cell \ styles 5, 

 united at the base, 



