Hibiscus.] xxvi. MALVACEAE. (Maxwell T. Masters.) 339 



Hotter parts of India, from the NORTH-WEST PROVINCES to CEYLON. DISTRIB. 

 Tropical Africa and Australia. 



Herbaceous. Leaves tomentose on both sides, cordate, roundish or angled, 3-5 lobed, 

 lobes oblong lanceolate, coarsely serrate, lower 4 in. ; petiole 2^ in. Peduncles solitary, 

 axillary, 1-flowered, shorter than the petiole, .jointed in the middle, often aggregated at 

 the ends of the branches. Bracteoles linear, shorter than the bell-shaped 5 cleft calyx. 

 Sepals lanceolate, 3-5-nerved, connate below the middle. Petals yellow with a 

 purple spot, twice or thrice longer than the sepals. Anthers regularly arranged along 

 the whole length of the staminal tube, typsule beaked, hairy, shorter than the calyx, 

 valves winged at the edge. Seed's tubercled. H. truncatus, Roxb., is a variety 

 with much smaller parts. 



18. H. procerus, Wall. Cat. 2692 ; perennial, prickly, leaves glabrous 

 deeply 5-7-parted, bracteoles 8-10 free linear covered with tawny tomentum, 

 sepals lanceolate bristly, corolla large. 



BIRMA, Wallich. 



Prickles of stem conical, with a whitish base. Leaves 8 by 5 in., roundish, deeply 

 3-7-9-parted, lobes lanceolate, serrate, glabrous, midrib prickly, upper leaves 3-part' d, 

 uppermost lanceolate ; petiole 1-2 in., lower 4 in. Stipules ^ in., linear, pilose. Pe- 

 duncles 4 in., aggregated at the ends of the branches and with the bracteoles and calyx 

 clothed with tawny tomentum. Sepals ^ in. Corolla 6 in. diam., pink with a dark 

 centre. Capsule ovoid, pointed, shorter than the sepals. Seeds black, tubercled. 



19. H. caimabinus, L. ; DC. Prodr. i. 450 ; annual or perennial, 

 prickly, stein glabrous, lower leaves entire upper lobed, mid-nerve glandular 

 beneath, peduncle very short, bracteoles 7-10 linear, shorter than the calyx, 

 sepals glandular. Cav. Diss. iii. 148, t. 52. f. 1 ; Roxb. Ft. Ind. iii. 208 ; 

 Cor. PI. i. t. 190 ; Wall. Cat. 1898 ? ; W.&A. Prodr. i. 50 ; Thwaites Ernmi. 

 26 ; Dah. & Gibs. Bomb. Fl. 20. H. Wightianus, Wall. Cat. 2695 and 1898. 



Generally cultivated ; apparently wild East of the Northern Ghauts. DISTRIB. Culti- 

 vated, in most tropical countries. 



Stem glabrous, prickly. Lower leaves cordate, upper deeply palmately lobed, lobes 

 narrow, serrate ; petiole prickly, lower much longer than the blade. Stipules linear, 

 pointed. ^Peduncles axillary, very short. Sepals bristly, lanceolate, connate below the 

 middle, with a gland at the back of each. Corolla large, spreading, yellow with a 

 cnmson centre. Capsule globose, pointed, bristly. Seeds nearly glabrous. All parts 

 agreeably acid. The stems furnish fibre. The specimen of H. Wightianus in Wallich's 

 herbarium is imperfect, but it is doubtless referable to this species; its leaves are 

 simple. <- 



20. H. diversifolius, Jacq. Ic. PI. Ear. t. 551 ; perennial, stem pubes- 

 cent covered with short stout conical prickles, leaves long-petioled scabrous 

 roundish or angular 3-5-lobed, bracteoles 10 linear very bristly half the length 

 of the calyx. Roxb. Fl. Ind. iii. 208 ; DC. Prodr. i. 449 ? ; Bot. Reg. t. 381 ; 

 Mat. in Oliv. Fl. Trop. Afr. i. 198, H. scaber, Wall Cat. 1894 C, and 

 1897, 18982. 



BIRMA, Wallich. DISTRIB. Tropical Africa and Australia. 



A tall herb or undershrub, with the branches, petioles and nerves of leaves armed 

 with hard conical prickles. Leaves variable, usually cordate, roundish, slightly lobed, 

 lobes acute, upper nearly entire, lanceolate. Peduncles very short bristly, axillary, 

 racemose. Sepals linear-lanceolate, bristly not glandular. Corolla 3 or 4 times the 

 size of the calyx. Capsule ovoid, pointed, hispid, ultimately glabrescent. Seeds 

 smooth. The specimens from Birma do not materially differ from those grown in the 

 Calcutta garden. I refer to De Candolle's plant with doubt, as he gives as a synonym 

 H.ficulneus of Cav., quite a different plant. 



21. Hi Gibsoni, Stocks mss. ; an nndershrub, branches bristly or with 

 minute prickles, leaves deeply palmately divided, peduncle longer than the 



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