Fugosia.'] xxv. malvace.^ (masters). 209 



1. F. digitata, Pers. ; J)C. Trod. i. 457. Shrubbv with crcrt, rod- 

 like, angiilar branches, slightly win^red at the angles. Leafstalks about an 

 inch in length, shorter than the roundish, deeply palniiscct leaves, whose 5-7 

 lobes are oblong, sinuous or somewhat lobed, nearly smooth on both surfaces. 

 Stipules minute, linear, falcate. Peduncles axillary, as long as or longer tiian 

 the petiole, angular, dilated towards the top. Kpicalyx of 10-12 distinct, 

 minute, linear segments. Calyx bell-shaped, 5-parted ; segments oblong, 

 acuminate, 3-nerved, sprinkled with black dots. Corolla yellow, 1-2 in. in 

 diam. Capsule shorter than the calyx, subglobose, mueronale, loculicidaliy 

 3-4-valved ; valves woody, broadly ovate, mucronate. Seeds covered wiiji 

 reddish cottony down. — Cieyifugosia digitata, Cav. Diss. iii. 17I-. t. 72. f. 2. 

 Upper Guinea. Sencgambia, Heudelot ! Siebei' ! Perrottet ! 



13. THESPESIA, Corr. ; Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. PI. i. 208. 



Bractlets 3-8, small or deciduous. Calyx minutely 5-dentate, rarely 5- 

 cleft. Column toothed at the apex. Ovary 5-celled, each cell with a few ovules. 

 Styles club-shaped, with 5 grooves. Capsule woody, coriaceous, opening 

 loculicidaliy or almost indehiscent. Seeds obovoid glabrous or toraentose. 

 Cotyledons much folded, enclosing the radicle, often marked with small black 

 dots. — Tall trees or shrubs. Leaves entire or lobed. Flowers yellow. 



Distinguished from Hibiscus by the confluent stigmas, the more woody capsule, and the 

 obovoid compressed seeds. 



Leaves cordate, ovate, acuminate \. T. populnea. 



Leaves pahnately-lobed 2. T. Lampai. 



1. T. populnea, Cuv. ; DC. Prod. i. 456. A smnll tree whose younger 

 branches as well as the petioles, pedicels, and calyx are covered with small 

 peltate scales. Leaves on long stalks, cordate, ovate, acuminate, 7-nen'ed, 

 smooth, leathery, entire or sinuous. Stipules falcate. Flowers solitary, 

 axillary, stalked. Peduncle shorter than the petiole. Epicalyx of 5 oblong- 

 lanceolate, deciduous segments, as long as or longer than the cup-shaped entire 

 or slightly 5-toothed calyx. Corolla nearly 2 inches in length, four times 

 exceeding the calyx. Fruit roundish, depressed, slightly beaked, 5-celled, 

 indehiscent or opening to a slight extent at the top. Seeds 2 in each cell of 

 the fruit, large, compressed laterally near the hilum, roundish above ; testa 

 pubescent, nervose-striate. — Hibiscus popidneus, Linn. Sp. 976. 



Upper Guinea. Senegambia, Perrottet ! Heudelot ! 

 Mozamb. Distr. Luabo, Dr. Kirk ! E. tropical Africa, Speke ! 

 Distributed probably by cultivation in India, Ceylon, the ^V. Indies, the Fiji, and Loo- 

 choo islands ; generally growing in moist situations near the seacoast. 



2. T. Lampas, Benth. et HooJc. f. Gen. PI. i. 209. A tree covered in 

 its herbaceous portions with fine stellate down. Leaves stalked, 3 4 in. across, 

 cordate, palmately 3-lobed ; lobes generally very pointed or in some varieties 

 obtuse, sinuous, slightly hairy above, very downy below. Peduncles axil- 

 lary, 1-3- or more flowered, jointed in the middle, often with a small leaf or 

 bract proceeding from the joint. Epicalyx of 8 or more deciduous segments, 

 rather longer than the calyx, which latter is cup-shaped, 5-lobcd; lobes 



