86 FLORA OF MADRAS. [Ancistrocladm . 



Ancistrocladus, Wall. 



Flowers in branched panicles. Stamens 10. Other characters 

 as described under the Family. 



ANCISTROCLADUS HEYNEANUS, Wall. ; F. B. I. i. 299 ; Wt. Ic. 

 t. 1987-8. 



W. Ghats, in most Districts, in evergreen forests. 



Family XXYI. MALVACEAE. 



Herbs, shrubs or rarely trees ; stellate hairs often present. 

 Leaves alternate, usually palmately nerved, simple lobed or 

 digitate ; stipules free, caducous or 0. Floiuers regular, bisexual 

 or very rarely dioecious or polygamous, axillary, terminal, solitary, 

 . clustered or paniculate ; bracteoles 2 or more, free or connate, often 

 forming an involucre, sometimes 0. Sepals (3-4-) 5, valvate, more or 

 less united into a lobed or truncate calyx. Petals 5, more or less 

 adnate to the base of the staminal tube, twisted-imbricate or 0. 

 Stamens many, rarely few, usually connate into a tube divided at 

 the apex into numerous single pentadelphous or polyadelphous 

 antheriferous filaments, or emitting from its outer surface sessile 

 or stipitate anthers ; anthers ultimately 1-celled. Ovary 2-many- 

 celled, entire or lobed, of 2-many carpels ; ovules 1 or more in each 

 cell on the axis ; styles distinct or connate ; stigmas linear 

 peltate or capitate. Fruit of dry indehiscent cocci separating 

 from the central axis, or capsular and loculicidal, or rarely 

 large woody and indehiscent. Seeds reniform or obovoid ; 

 albumen scanty or ; embryo curved ; cotyledons usually folded 

 or crumpled. 



Plants destitute of peltate scales : 



Leaves simple, entire, lobed, or palmatiM : 

 Carpels separating from the axis at maturity : 



Styles as many as the carpels ; staminal tube antheriferous at or to 

 the top : 



Bracteoles 3 : 



Carpels rounded, indehiscent, awnless : 

 Leaves orbicular in outline, palmately veined and lobed; 



stigmas linear ; flowers purple or whitish *.l. Malva. 



Leaves lanceolate, pinnately veined stigmas capitate ; 



flowers yellow 2. Malvastrum. 



Carpels truncate, dehiscent, 2-awned ..Modiola. 



