372 STERCULIACE.E. 



The latter is the Guimauve of the French. The flowers of Althaea rosea, 

 the Hollyhock, are used for similar purposes ; the plant also yields fibres 

 and a blue dye. The flowers of Abutilon esculentum, and the fruit of 

 Abelmoschus esculentus, called Ochro, are used as articles of food. Hibis- 

 cus cannabinm is the source whence sun-hemp is procured in India. 

 Other species of Hibiscus also yield useful fibres. The bark of Paritium 

 tiliaceum furnishes valuable materials for cordage. Cotton is com- 

 posed of the hairs surrounding the seeds of various species of Gossy- 

 pium. These hairs, when dry, exhibit under the microscope a 

 peculiar twisted appearance. Gossypium barbadense seems to be the 

 species which yields the best cotton; the Sea-Island, New Orleans, and 

 Georgian cotton being produced by varieties of it. Gossypium peru- 

 vianum or acuminatum, furnishes the South American cotton ; Gossy- 

 pium herbaceum, the common cotton of India. G. arboreum is the 

 Indian-tree cotton. The Chinese Nankin cotton is furnished by a 

 variety of G. herbaceum. The quality of cotton-wool depends on 

 the length, strength, and firmness of the tissue, or, as it is called, the 

 staple. These essential attributes are modified by the cleanliness and 

 the colour. Long-stapled cottons are generally used for the twist or 

 warp, and short-stapled for the weft. The value of cotton varies 

 not only according to the species, but also according to the nature of 

 the climate in which it grows. The total import of Cotton into Britain 

 in 1845, was upwards of 716 millions of pounds; while in 1846 and 

 1847, it amounted only to about 480 millions. The seeds of the 

 cotton-plants yield oil which has been used for lamps. 



783. Order 28. sterculiaceie, the Sterculia and Silk-cotton Family. 

 (Polypet. Hypog.) Calyx of 5, more or less united, sepals, often sur- 

 rounded by an involucre ; aestivation usually valvate. Petals 5 or 

 none, hypogynous, aestivation twisted. Stamens usually oo ; their 

 filaments variously united; anthers 2-celled, extrorse. Pistil of 5 

 (rarely 3) carpels, either distinct or cohering ; styles equal in number 

 to the carpels, free or cohering ; ovules orthotropal (fig. 523 ( or ana- 

 tropal. Fruit capsular, usually with 5 cells, or follicular or suc- 

 culent. Seeds often with a woolly covering; with a fleshy or oily 

 perisperrn (rarely 0), and either a straight or a curved embryo ; cotyle- 

 dons leafy or thick, plaited or rolled round the plumule. Trees or 

 shrubs, with alternate leaves, which are either simple or compound, 

 deciduous stipules, and often a stellate pubescence. They are distin- 

 guished from Malvaceae by their dithecal extrorse anthers. They 

 inhabit warm climates. The order has been divided into the follow- 

 ing sections : 1. Bombaceas, with hermaphrodite flowers, and pal- 

 mate or digitate leaves. 2. Helictereae, with hermaphrodite flowers 

 and simple leaves. 3. Sterculiese, with unisexual flowers, and either 

 simple or palmate leaves. Lindley mentions 34 genera, including 

 125 species. Examples Bombax, Helicteres, Sterculia. 



