THE MALLOW FAMILY 369 



sail to carry the fruit-cluster before the wind over smooth 

 ground or a crust of snow. 



The family comprises mostly woody plants having mucilag- 

 inous juices; and often fragrant flowers with petals imbricate 

 and distinct; staynens numerous, pentadelphous, and free; anthers 

 with two pollen-sacs; and styles coalesced throughout. 



116. The mallow family (Malvaceae). Examples: cotton 

 (Figs. 214-216, pages 225-227) and marshmallow (Fig. 158, 

 page 166). 



See pages 410, 411 for formulas of Gossypium, Althaea, and 

 Malvaceae. 



Several new features are presented in this family. An 

 involucel is commonly present close to the flower, recalling 

 the epicalyx of strawberries, but here we have bractlets in 

 place of stipules. The aestivation of the corolla is such that 

 one edge of each petal overlaps its neighbor, while the other 

 edge is in turn overlapped by the next in order, vEstivation 

 of this type is termed convolute.'^ The androecium appears 

 to consist of a number of stamens borne upon a long tube 

 enclosing the styles. This tube shows at the top, more or 

 less distinctly, five projections which give evidence that the 

 androecium consists really of but five stamens coalesced by 

 their filaments to form the tube, and branched above into 

 the numerous stalks liearing pollen-sacs. Curiously enough 

 each branch bears only a single pollen-sac and is thus equiva- 

 lent to but half of an ordinary anther. 



The expression FA oo -^5)] would read "stamens numerous, 

 divided into five groups, monadelphous, and adhering to the petals." 

 As a result of this adhesion the petals, although distinct, fall off in 

 connection with the stamen-tube (as the fruit ripens) much as if 

 they were coalescent. 



The fruit of marshmallow (Althaea) represents a type very 

 common in the family. Although indehiscent, the basal 

 part of the several carpels, as they ripen, separate into as 

 many nutlets, each containing a single seed. The fruit thus 

 returns to a condition very like that of a cluster of anemone 



1 Con'vo-lute < L. con, together; volvere, roll. P" is the sign. 



