Hibiscus!] XXV. malvace.e (mastkrs). 197 



Corolla yellow with a purple centre. Styles 5. Fruit romidisii, of 5 nuMii- 

 briiuous carpels jH-ovidcd with inembranoiis win^s. Seeds I in eacii rcli. — 

 Pavonia dictyocarpn, Hochst. in Selied. Kotseh. It. Nub. n. 124. 



Nile Ijand. El hiopia and Nubia, Kolsrhy ! 



This has more the habit of Pavunia than of Jlibixcus, but it has only 5 styles. 



3. H. vitifolius, Zmw. ; DC. Prod. \. 450. A tall, nnieh-branrlied 

 herb, villose hispid or even aculeate. Leaves on ]oni< stalks, cordate, roundish, 

 often deeply pabnately 3-5-lobe(l ; lobes oblonjr or lanceolate, rarely acnini- 

 uate, coarsely serrate, nearly smooth, or at other times tomentose and villose, 

 central lobe lono^est. Peduncles solitary, axillary, 1 -flowered, shorter than 

 the petioles, jointed in the middle and often crowded at the ends of the 

 branches, so as to form a leafy cluster. Epicalyx of 8-12 distinct, linear, 

 subulate or tiliform seoments, shorter than the bell-shaped, 5-cleft calsx, the 

 lobes of which latter are broadly lanceolate, 3 5-nerved, and pubescent. 

 Corolla 1-2 in. in length, more than twice the size of the calvx, yellow with a 

 purplish spot. Capsule shorter than the calyx, roundish, depressed, beaked, 

 its 5 valves pergamentaceous, nervose, reticulate, villose, and extended al tJie 

 educes into foliaceous wintrs. Seeds tuberculate. — //. slriyoftus, Schum. et 

 Thonn. PI. Guin. 314. H. jatrophrefolins, Kich. Fl. Abyss, i. 58. //. mo- 

 daticus, Hochst.; Rich. Fl. Abyss, i. 56. //. obncurns, Rich. Fl. Abvss. 

 i. 57. 



Upper Guinea. Cape Coast, T. Vogel ! Quorra, Bailcie I 



Nile Iiand. SoiwxhA, Schweinfurth ! Ahyssmxa, Salt ! £Arenber(/ .' Schimp^ .' Pe/ii ! 



Iiower Guinea. Coneo, S?rj/f/i ! Burton ! 



Mozamb. Distr. Zambesi, Tette, Dr. Kirk ! 



This plant has a wide geographical range, being found in India and Australia, as well as 

 in Africa. It is readily recognized by the capsular wings. Tlie .Vbvssiniaii specimens only 

 differ in the more deeply-lobed leaves and the shallower wings to the fruit. The hairioeM 

 of the surface is subject to great variations. 



4. H. lepidospermus. Mast. An undershrub, the herbaceous por- 

 tions covered witii tine down. Leave.« on very short stalks, linear-lanceolate, 

 denticulate, downy on both surfaces, 4 6 in. long. Stipules linear, persis- 

 tent, as long as the petioles, ciliated at the margins. Peduncles solitary, 

 axillary, l-f1ovveied, thickened upwards, as longas or longer than the petioles. 

 Epicalyx of 10 linear ciliolate segments, distinct at the base, half the length 

 of the cup-shaped 5-parted calyx. Cal\x-lobes subulate or acuminate, 

 covered with coarse bristly hairs, 3-nerved, 1-glandulose. Corolla yeliow, 

 2-3 in. diam., twice the size of the calyx. Capsule oblong, obtuse, ns long 

 as the calyx, its 5 valves hispid, obtuse. Seeds numerous, covered with 

 quadrangular projecting scales, often revolute at the free margin. 



Upper Guinea. Niger, Barier ! 



A very distinct species, reeognizaljle by its leaves and curious scaly seeds. It wa^ dis- 

 covered in swampy situations near the Niger. 



5. H. obtusilobus, Garcke in Pot. Zeit. 1849, p. 837 ; ff'alp. Ann.W. 

 144. Stem herbaceous, 18 in. in heiyh't, branched glal)rou3 or covered «ilh 

 stellate hairs. Petioles 14 in. long, shorter than the leaves, which are cor- 

 date ovate-oblong or more or less deeply 3 5-lobed ; lobes oblong, obluse, 

 undulate-crenate, subscabrous, with a few stellate hairs, central lobe longest. 



