ORDER 24. MALVACEAE. 265 



and dense tufts of wool ; pet. obovate ; stain, about 15. 7J. A very delicate plant, 

 with purple stems and bright purple fls. 1 ' diam. 



P. GilliSsii Hook, with short, cylindrical, blunt Ivs., somewhat flattened, 

 ascending, branched stems, and large, deep purple fls., is also popular in house 

 cultivation. These species are natives of S. America, f 



ORDER XXIII. MESEMBRYACE^E. ICE-PLANTS. 



Plants fleshy, of singular and various form, yet beautiful, with opposite, fleshy 

 leaves. Fls. solitary, axillary and terminal, remarkable for their profusion, brilliant, 

 and of long duration. Sepals definite ; petals numerous, colored, in many rows. 

 Sta. indefinite, distinct, arising from the calyx (perigynous). Ova. inferior or nearly 

 superior, many-celled. Stigmas numerous. Caps, many-celled, opening in a stel- 

 late manner at the apex, or one-celled. Sds. more commonly indefinite, attached to 

 the inner angle of the cells, or to a free central placentae. 



Genera 5, specie* 375, chiefly natives of the arid, sandy plains of the Cape of Good Hope. 

 The species arc much cultivated for ornament. Lewisia rediviva of Oregon, called Spastlum, is 

 highly valued for its farinaceous, nutritive roots. 



MESEMBRYANTHEMUM, L. (Gr. ^ea^ftpia, mid-day, avOog; 

 flowers expanding at mid-day.) Calyx 5-cleft ; petals very numerous, 

 linear ; stamens oo, perigynous ; capsule inferior, fleshy, turbinate ; 

 seeds numerous, either axile or parietal. 



1 M. crystallinum L. ICE-PLANT. Biennial, procumbent ; Ivs. largo, ovate, 

 acute, wavy, frosted, 3-veined beneath. A popular house plant, from Greece. It 

 has a creeping stem, If or more in length, and with the leaves is covered over 

 with frost-like, warty protuberances, giving the plant a very singular aspect. 

 Fls. white, appearing all summer, f . 



2 M. grandiflorum L. Perennial, procumbent, spreading ; Ivs. petiolate, 

 opposite, cordate-ovate ; cal. 4-cleft, 2-horned. 4 An interesting plant in house 

 cultivation, from Cape Good Hope. The whole plant fleshy and succulent, like 

 others of its kind. Pis. pink-colored. Calyx thick, green, the horns opposite. 

 Caps, translucent, marked at summit with cruciform lines, f. 



ORDER XXIV. MALVACEAE. MALLOWS. 



Herbs or shrubs with alternate, stipulate Ivs. and regular flowers, with 5 sepals 

 united at base, valvate in the bud, often subtended by an involucel ; 5 petals hypo- 

 gynous, convolute in the bud, with the stamens oo, monadelphous, hypogynons, 

 and 1-celled, reniform anthers. Pistils several, distinct or united, and stigmas vari- 

 ous. Fruit a several-celled capsule, or a collection of 1 -seeded indehiscent carpels. 

 Seeds with little or no albumen, and a curved embryo. (Fig. 252, 352.) 



Genera 40, species 1060, abundant in the tropics, frequent in the temperate zones, entirely 

 wanting in the frigid. Cotton, one of the most important products of the vegetable kingdom, is 

 the coma of the seeds ( 5S5) of Gopsypium. Many of the Malvaceae are handsome flowering 

 plants, and are often cultivated as such. 



Properties. Generally abounding in mucilage, and destitute of any deleterious qualities. 



GENERA. 



Calyx naked, i. e., having no involucel. (b) 

 Calyx involucelate. Carpels (and styles) more than 5. (a) 

 Carpels 3 to 5 only, one-seeded, (c) 



3 00-seeded. (d) 



a Involncel of 6 to 9 bractlets. Carpels 1-seeded ALTH.EA. 1 



a Involucel of 3 distinct bractlets. Carpels 1-seeded MALTA. 2 



a Involucel of 3 united bractlets. Carpels 1-seeded LAVATERA. 3 



* Involucel of 3 distinct bractlets. Carpels 2-seeded MODIOI.A. 4 



