178 XXV. malvacej: (mastees). [Malvastrum. 



1. M. spicatum, A. Gray, Plant. Fendler. 22. An erect branching 

 herb, 1-2 ft. high, stellately tomentose. Leaves stalked, 1-2 in. long, ovate, 

 acute or obtuse, crenate-serrate, sometimes 3-lobed. Flowers small, yellow, 

 in a dense, terminal, leafy spike. Bracts of epicalyx narrowed, shorter than 

 the calyx. Sepals acuminate, ciliate. Petals 4-5 lines long. Carpels 8-12, 

 angular, pubescent. — Malva sjpicata, Linn. ; DC. Prod. i. 430. 



Nile Land. Sennar, Kotscliy ! 



Very generally distributed througliout the tropics, and found also in Australia, the Cape 

 de Verde Islands, etc. 



2. M. tricuspidatom, A. Gray, Plant. Wright. 16. An erect, branch- 

 ing, herbaceous plant, 2-3 ft. high, covered with ajDpressed simple hairs. Leaves 

 on longish stalks, ovate-lanceolate, irregularly toothed, hairy, 1-2 in. long. 

 Flowers yellow, nearly sessile, in axillaiy and terminal clusters. Epicalyx of 

 3 narrow bracts. Calyx 5-lobed, Carpels 8-12, closely packed, each carpel 

 reniform, with 3 small points at the upper edge. — Malva tricuspidata. Ait. ; 

 DC. Prod. i. 430. Malvastrum coromandelinum, Garcke in Schweinf. PI. 

 ^thiop. 267. 



Nile I<and. Sennar, Kotschy ! 



Like the preceding, this plant is widely distributed throughout the tropics of both hemi- 

 spheres, also in Australia. 



3. SIDA, Linn. ; Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. PL i. 203. 



Epicalyx usually wan^ting. Calyx 5-lobed. Petals oblique. Staminal 

 column divided at the top into several filaments ; ovaries 5 or more, in a 

 ring round the axis ; styles as many as the carpels ; stigmas terminal. Ripe 

 carpels separating from the axis and provided with two connivent or more or 

 less erect awns, or in some of the species destitute of those appendages, de- 

 hiscing by a little chink at the summit. Seed pendulous or horizontal ; ra- 

 dicle superior. — Herbs or shrubs, more or less hairy, rarely smooth. Flowers 

 small, on 1 -flowered solitary axillary stalks, or clustered in heads or ra- 

 cemes. — Dictyocarpus, Wight in Ann. Sc. Nat. Ser. 2. xi. 169. 



A large genus, whose species are widely distributed throughout the warmer regions of the 

 globe. 



Flowers in loose terminal corymbs. Leaves Imear-lanceolate . . . \. S. linifolia. 



Flowers numerous, iu dense axillary clusters 2. S. urens. 



Flowers few, in loose axillary clusters or aggregated at the ends of the 

 branches. 



Leaves deeply palmately divided 3.5. triloba. 



Leaves not palmate. 



Stem prostrate or decumbent. 



Branches slender, filiform, often trailing. Leaves not retuse . 4. S. humilis. 



Branches woody, intricate. Leaves retuse h. S. truncaia. 



Stem erect. 



Leaves smooth or nearly so on both surfaces &. S. carpinifolia. 



Leaves hairy, at least on the under surface. 



Carpels 5. Petiole spiny 7. & spinosa. 



Carpels more than 5. 

 Awns of ripe carpels, erect, longer than the deltoid calyx- 

 lobes 8. 5. cordifolia. 



