ALTHAEA.] MALVAGE^. 71 



1 or more on the inner angles of the carpels, usually horizontal or 

 ascending, raphe ventral or superior. Fruit usually of many dry in- 

 dehiscent or 2-valved loculicidal crustaceous or coriaceous 1- or more- 

 seeded carpels. Seed often woolly, albumen little or ; embryo straight 

 or curved, cotyledons usually thin folded or plaited. DISTRIB. All regions 

 but very cold ones ; genera 60 ; species 700. AFFINITIES. With Stercu- 

 liacece and Tiliaceee, also with EuphorbiaceoK. PROPERTIES. Mucilagi- 

 nous ; the bark yields textiles, and cotton is the covering of the seeds of 

 Gossypium. 



Bracteoles 6-9, connate at the base 1. Althaea. 



Bracteoles 3, free, inserted on the calyx 2. Malva. 



Bracteoles 3, connate at the base 3. Lavatera. 



l. ALTH-?E A, L. MARSH-MALLOW. 



Herbs, hairy or tomentose. Leaves lobed or divided. Flowers axillary 

 or racemose. Calyx 5-fid ; involucel 6-9-fid. Staminal column long, 

 filaments free at the top only. Ovary many-celled ; styles filiform, inner 

 surface stigmatose ; ovules 1 in each cell. Fruit a whorl of indehiscent 

 1 -seeded carpels. Seed ascending. DISTRIB. Temp, and warm regions ; 

 species 12. ETYM. &\6a, from its liealing properties. 



1. A. officina'lis, L. ; softly pubescent, cymes axillary shorter than 



the leaves. Marsh-mallow, Guimauve. 



Marshes near the sea, local ; from Lincoln and S. Wales southwards, and in 

 Ireland ; Scotland, introduced only ; fl. Aug.-Sept. Perennial. Stem 2-3 ft., 

 subsimple. Leaves 2-3 in. broad, shortly petioled, ovate-cordate or suborbi- 

 cular, thick, entire or 3-5-lobed, toothed. Flowers 1-2 in. diam., rosy. Se- 

 pals ovate. DISTRIB. Europe from Denmark southwards, N. Africa, Siberia, 

 W. Asia ; introd. in N. America. 

 A. HIRSU'TA, L. ; hispid, peduncles 1-flowered longer than the leaves. 



Naturalized in fields N. of Cuxton Church, Kent ; fl. July-Aug. Annual or 

 biennial, Steins 6-18 in., many, ascending, slender. Leaves long-petioled, 

 reniform, acutely 5-lobed, crenate, upper 3-partite. Flowers 1 in. diam., 

 rose-purple. Sepals lanceolate. DISTRIB. Europe from Belgium southwards. 



2. MAL'VA, L. MALLOW. 



Hirsute or glabrous herbs. Leaves angled, lobed or cut. Flowers axil- 

 lary. Calyx 5-fid, 3-bracteolate. Staminal column long, filaments free 

 at its top only ; anthers reniform, 2-celled in bud, 2-valved dehiscing 

 along the convex side ; *H|llen globose, hispid. Ovary many-celled ; 

 styles stigmatose on the inner surface. Fruit a whorl of indehiscent 

 1-seeded carpels separating 'from a short conical axis. Seed ascending, 

 albumen scanty mucilaginous. DISTRIB. Europe, temp. Asia and N. 

 Africa, and as weeds of cultivation in other regions; species 16. ETYM. 

 pa^dx 1 )* m allusion to its emollient properties. 



1. M. sylves'tris, L. ; hairy, stems many ascending, leaves 3 7-lohed 

 crenate-serrate, peduncles spreading, carpels glabrous reticulate. 

 Waste places from Isla southwards, rare, if native ( Watson), in Scotland ; 



fl. June-Sept. Perennial or biennial, 2-3 ft. Leaves 2-3 in. diam., lobes 



