GossT/pium.] XXV. malvace^ (masters). 211 



an easily sepnrable white or nankren-coloiired down. — G. punctaium, Schum. 

 et Thonn. PI. Guin. 310. G. vilifolium, Lara. Diet. ii. 135. G. peiuvianum. 

 DC. Prod. i. 456. 



Cultivated in many districts of troi)ical Africa. 



Upper Guinea. AbbeokutH, Irving ! Niger, Barter! Sierra Leone, Burton ! 



North Central. Kouka, ^. Voyel ! 



Nile Ijand. Abyssiuia, Dillon and Petit! Nubia, Scfiweivfurth ! lal. T S., Speke 

 and Grant ! 



liO^^er Guinea. Congo, Burton ! 



Mozamb. Distr. Zambesi, Lupata, and elsewhere, " in a wild state," Lr. Kirk ! 



This sjjccies is widely diffused by cultivation in the warmer regions of the globe, and 

 furnishes ihe various soits of "American Cotton." The Peruvian Cotton, G. peruvtanum, 

 DC, seems to be only a variety of this species, differing in the coherent seeds. Dr. Kirk 

 mentions this variety as being cultivated by the Makonde people 80 miles inland. 



2. G. anomalum, Wnwra et Feyr'Usch, Serf. Bcnfjuel. p. 22. A slirub 

 5-10 ft. \\\v^^ with rough branches. Leaves stalked, downy on both surfaces, 

 cordate with a single gland on the under surface, the lower leaves palmately 

 5-lobed, the upper ones 3-lobed ; lobes roundish or slightly acute. Flowers 

 opposite the leaves. Bracts of the epicalyx entire, linear-lanceolate, twice 

 the length of the calyx, which latter is cup-shaped, 5-lobed ; lobes acumi- 

 nate. Petals reddish. Capsule ovoid, less than an inch in length, 3-valved ; 

 valves tuberculated, woody, acuminate. Seeds 3 or 4 in each cell of the 

 capsule, covered with brownish wool adherent to the seed. — G. Setiareme, 

 Fenzl in Sched. Kotschy, Iter ^thiop. Coll. 90. 



Nile Ijand. Nubia, Kotschy ! 



Lower Guinea. Angola, Mossamedes, Br. Welwitsch ! Benguela, Waicra ! 



A distinct species, the only one truly wild in Africa according to Dr. ^^elwit*ch. The 

 linear segments of the epicalyx, the acuminate calyx-lobes, and the small tubercular capsule, 

 afford good means of discriminating this interesting species. 



3. G. arboreum, Linn.; DC. Prod. i. 456. A shrub attaining the 

 height of 6-8 ft. with slender, purplish, pilose branches. Leaves on long 

 stalks, 1-glandulose, deeply palmately 5-7-lobed ; lobes oblong-lanceolate, 

 mucronulate, sinuses between the lobes obtuse, often provided with a supple- 

 mentary lobe. Stipules falcate. Peduncles as long as the petioles, jointed 

 near the summit and often producing a small leaf at the joint Epicalyx 

 of 3 cordate, ovate, acute, slightly laciniate or nearly entire segments much 

 longer than the cup-shaped, nearly entire calyx. Corolla purple, twice the 

 size of the epicalyx ; column antheriferous for nearly its whole length. 

 Capsule about an inch long, oblong ; valves coriaceous or woody, mucronate. 

 Seeds free, covered with long white hairs in addition to a close green felt. 



Upper Guinea. Niger, Barter! Abbeokuta, Irving! 



Nile I«and. Abyssinia, Sckimper ! 



Cultivated in most tropical countries, though but little of the Cotton reache* this country. 



4. G. herbaceum, Linn.; DC. Prod. i. 456. A branching annual or 

 perennial with smooth or slightly hispid branches besprinkled with black 

 dots. Leaves stalked, upper ones ovate, lower ones cordate, palmately 3 5- 

 lobed; lobes broadly oval acuminate entire or sinuous, 3-5.nerved, 1-glan- 



