HIBISCUS COCCI MiUS. 



AMICRICAN SCAKL1:T ROSK-M ALI OW 



NATURAL ORDKK, MALVACl.l. 



I{inisrrs cocciNEUS, Walter. — Smooth; stem j;l:uicoiis; leaves li)iig-])cliolctl, tui-|>artcd to 

 the base, the lubes lanceolate, remotely toothccl, Nvith lung-tapering entire tips; corolla 

 expanding, bright scarlet ; petals long-clawed ; seeds pubescent. Stems fmir to cigfit feet 

 high. Leaves si.v to twelve inches long. Corolla six to eight inches wide. Column of 

 stamens naked below. (Chapman's Flo~a of the Soufhrru I'nited Stixtis. Sec also Wood's 

 Clnss-BooJ: of Botany.) 



HE natural order to which Hibiscus ioccitwus bclonL;r> i.> 

 of immense value to man. Cotton, which has been 

 called the king of all agricultural products, in a commercial sense, 

 is a member of this order; and many of its otlicr representa- 

 tives are also employed in textile industry. The si)ecies which 

 are comprised in it have a close famil\- resemblance; or, as it 

 would be technically styled, the order is a very natural one. 

 The union of the stamens into a tube, leaving only the ui)iK'r 

 portion of the filaments with the anthers free, the whole .sur- 

 rounding the pistils, is eminently characteristic of Mn/iuuur : 

 and althoufjh other orders, Gcrauiaaa- ft>r instance, have a 

 somewhat similar arrangement of stamens, there are yet certain 

 attendant circumstances which are always j)resent, and which 

 will prevent the confusion of Malvacecr with any other family. 

 The nearest relationship in structure to Malvacecr is perhaps 

 shown by Tiliacccr, the order to which the linden belongs; but 

 the difference in the general appearance of the two is so great 

 that even the unbotanical observer will find no difliculty in 

 deciding between them. It is hardly neces.sary to say that Mal- 

 vacccc belongs to the polypetalous division of e.\ogens;but there 



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