Hibiscus.'] XXV. malvacejc (masters) 201 



Var. stenolobux, Hochst. 1. c, has narrow lobes to leaf. 



Nile Land. Abyssinia, Schimper ! Nyanzara, White Nile, Petfienck ! I'uyoro, 

 Speke and Grant ! 



14. H. surattensis, Linn. ; DC. Prod. i. 449. A weak-stemmed her- 

 baceous plant, straggling over other plants, its branches, as well as the 

 petioles and pedicels, covered with a few^ soft villi, intermingled among which 

 are a number of recurved bristles. Leaves on long stalks, roundish, deeply 

 and palmately 8-5-fid; segments oblong, serrate, central lobe longest. 

 Stipules large, foliaceous, sessile, subreniform, scarcely acuminate. Pedunclea 

 solitary, axillary, 1-flowered, as long as the petiole. Epicalyx of 10-12, 

 linear-spathulate segments each provided on the inner and upper surface 

 with one or more leafy appendages. Calyx broadly cup-shaped, 5 -fid, seg- 

 ments triangular, acute, 3-nerved, bristly. Corolla yellow or with a darker 

 spot at the base, 2-3 in. in length, twice or thrice the size of the calyx. 

 Capsule ovoid, beaked, shorter than the calyx ; valves villose, ultimately 

 smooth. Seeds reniform, rather downy. — Bot. Mag. 1356. ? H. acultatua, 

 Don, Gen. Syst. i. 480. 



Upper Guinea. St. Thomas, Bon ! Barter ! Old Calabar, Thomson ! Senegambia, 

 Perroiiet ! 



Iiower Guinea. Congo, Smith ! 



Mozamb. Distr., Forbes! Rovuma and elsewhere, Br. Kirk ! 



The plant has a wide distribution in South Africa, Natal, India, Borneo, the Philippine 

 Islands, and Australia. Don's H.aculeatus, see Walp. Rep. i. 308, perhaps belonjis here, if 

 one may judge from the reniform stipules raeutioaed iu the description of that author. 



15. H. furcatus, Roxb.; DC. Trod, i, 449. A coarse annual or per- 

 ennial, with terete or angular branches, which, as well as the petioles, pe- 

 dicels, and nerves of the leaves, are covered with coarse bristly hairs or even 

 hooked tubercles. Leaves stalked, cordate-roundish, angular or 3-5-lobed ; 

 lobes pointed, crenate-dentate and with a few stellate hairs, especially on the 

 lower surface. Stipules linear-subulate, hispid. Flowers solitary, axillary, 

 on very short peduncles, by the sides of which leafy shoots are sometimes 

 developed. Epicalyx of 10-12 distinct linear segments, nearly as long as 

 the calyx, entire or provided with an accessory lobe. Calyx 5-parted, its 

 segments ovate, with very long points ; midribs and margins setose, Capsule 

 ovoid, pointed, about the length of the calyx ; valves ovate, oblong, mucro- 

 nate. 



Upper Guinea. Gambia, Ingram ! 

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



A common Indian plant, occurring also at the Cape. From H. surattensis it is particu- 

 larly distinguished by its stipules and by its much broader leaf-lobes. 



16. H. rostellatus, Gnill. et Pcrr. Fl. Seneg. i. 55. Suffrutescent, 

 3-4 ft. high, hispid, prickly ; prickles recurved. Petioles 2-3 in. long, as 

 long or nearly so as the leaves, which are cordate, angular, palmately 5- 

 lobed ; lobes deltoid, hispid, crenate-serrate. Stipules linear, short. Pe- 

 duncles axillary, as long as or longer than the adjacent petioles. Epicalyx of 

 10 linear segments, much shorter than the calyx, and each provided at the 

 apex with a spoon-shaped appendage. Calyx 5-cleft ; segnxnts lanceolate ; 

 nerves prominent, setose. Corolla pink, twice the length of (he calw. Sta- 



