$20 xxvi. MALVACEAE. (Maxwell T. Masters.) [Lavatera. 



late. Peduncles about equalling the leaves. Bracteoles 3, broadly ovate, acute, com- 

 bined at the base. Sepals lanceolate, longer than the bracteoles. Corolla 3 in. diam., 

 pink ; petals cuneate, deeply 2-tid. Staminal column villous. Carpds reuiibrm, smooth, 

 shorter than the projecting torus. 



3. DIAZ. V A, Linn. 



Downy herbs. Leaves lobed. Flowers in axillary tufts. Bracteoles 3, 

 distinct. Sepals 5, connate at the base. Petals emarginate, connate at the 

 extreme base. Stamincd-tube antheriferous to the top, without .sterile teeth. 

 Ovary many-celled ; styles as many as the carpels, stimulus linear ovules 

 1 in each cell Ripe carpels 1 -seeded, indehiscent, separating from a short 

 conical torus. Seed ascending. DISTRIB. Temperate regions of the Old 

 World. Species about 16 ; many are widely diffused by cultivation, &c. 

 None of the Indian species are endemic. 



1. M. verticillata, L. ; DC. Prodr. i. 433; an erect annual or peren- 

 nial, pubescent, flowers nearly sessile in dense axillary clusters. Wall. Cat. 

 1879, 1884, 3, 4. M. neilgherrensis, Wijld Ic.t. 950. M. alcheinillaefolia, 

 Wall. Cat. 1884, d. 



TEMPERATE HIMALAYA, ascending to 6-12,000 ft., from Assam and Sikkim to 

 Kninaon and Lahul ; N n.uiiiius Mm, in corn fields, Wight. DISTRIU. Europe, Abyssinia, 

 Egypt, Amoor land, China. 



Stem bianched, 2-4 ft. high. Leaves cordate, suborbicular, 5-6-lobed, downy ; petiole 

 6-7 in. Flon:crx small, nearly sessile, densely crowded, linu-taile* linear. >S /'//*' 

 deltoid lanceolate. Petals notched, sliglitly longer than the sepals. <'<ir/H'lx 10-12, 

 enclosed within the accrescent calyx, netted on the sides, prominently ribbed at the 

 back. 



2. M. silvestris, L. ; DC. Prodr. i. 432 ; an erect nearly glabrous herb, 

 peduncles as long or longer than the flowers erector ascending. /*Ws. 



/'7,,r. Orient, i. 819. 



WESTERN TKMIT.I: \TK HIMALAYA, from Knmaon, alt. 2500 ft., to KASHMIR and the 

 PANJAH. DISTHIB. Europe, N. Africa, Siberia. 



Animal, J .'> It. hi^h. Leaves cordate, rounded, lobed; petiole 4-5 in. Peduncles 

 about 1 in. Bract>l< x ovate, entire, shorter than the bell -shaped cnlf/x. Corolla 14 in. 

 diam. Pt'tdlx notched, claw-bearded. ('(ir/>//n reticulated, downy or glabrous. 



VAR. 1. muuritiana; carpels retienlateil, glabrous. .)/. mini ritinnit, I )< '. 1'rodr. i. 432, 

 Cav. Diss.ii. 25, f. 2; Roxb. Fl. Ind. iii. 181 ; W. & A. Prodr. i. -\:> : Wall. Cat. 1877; 

 P.oiss. Fl. Orient, i. 819. Bengal, Western Peninsula. M. ciliata, Wall. Cat. 1878. 



VAR. 2. eriocarpa, Boissier Fl. Orient, i. 819 ; carpels reticulated downy. Himalaya. 



3. UK. rotundifolia, L. ; DC. Prodr. i. 433 ; a spreading herb, 

 slightly downy, peduncles deflexed after fkwiTin<. r , claw of petal bearded. 



WaU. Cat. 1885 ; Boiss. Flor. Orient, i. 8^<>. .M. vulgaris, Fries. Novrit. 219. 



.NORTH- WEST PROVINCES ; KUMAON and SINDH. DISTRIB. Europe, W. Asia. 



A much-branched herb, sparingly villous. Leaves suborbicular, lobed, crenate; petiole 

 6-7 in. Peduncles 1 ^ in. Braeteoles lanceolate half the length of the broadly lance- 

 shaped sepals. Corolla 1 in. diam. Petals wed^e-shaped, notched, twice the length of 

 the sepals. Ripe carpels downy, flat or wrinkled. 



VAR. 1. borealis ; petals scarcely exceeding the sepals, carpels prominently wrinkled 

 and netted. M. rotundifolia, Koxb. Fl. Ind. iii. 181 ; M. borealis, Wallm. ex Boiss. 

 Flor. Orient, i. S20 ; M. rotundifolia var. /3, W. & A. Prod. i. 45 ; Wall. Cat. 1884, e, f ; 

 M. parviftora, Huds. not of Linn. Bengal, Mysore. 



VAR. 2. reticulata ; petals exceeding the calyx; carpels glabrous, wrinkled, M. rotun- 

 difolia, var. a, W. & A. Prodr. i. 45; Wall. Cat. 1884, e. Bengal, North- West Ilium- 

 laya, alt. 1-2000 ft. 



