94 FLORA OF MADRAS. [Decaschistia. 



8. Decaschistia, W. & A. 



Tomentose shrubs. Leaves entire, serrate or lobed. Flowers 

 shortly peduncled, axillary, solitary or clustered ; bracteoles 10. 

 Sepals 5, a little coherent at the base, lobes narrow, acute or 

 acuminate. Petals connate at the base and adherent to the base 

 of the staminal tube, broader above and twisted in imbrication. 

 Stamens becoming free from the staminal tube at various heights. 

 Ovary 10-celled, cells 1-ovuled ; style divided near the top into 10 

 branches, with capitate stigmas. Capsule loculicidally 10-valved, 

 depressed-globose. Seeds reniform. 



Middle and lower leaves deeply trilobed ; bracteoles not much more than 



half the length of the calyx 1. triloba. 



Middle and lower leaves ovate or lanceolate : 



Leaves ovate, rounded or rarely obtuse at the apex, nearly entire ; 



stem with rough spreading reddish hairs ; seeds slightly pubescent 



2. rufa. 



Leaves ovate-lanceolate, acute, serrate or nearly entire, stem usually 



with short white tomentum ; seeds quite glabrous 3. crotonifolia. 



1. DECASCHISTIA TRILOBA, Wt. Ic. t. 88 ; F. B. I. i. 332. 



W. Ghats in S. Canara and Mysore. 

 An erect shrub. 



2. DECASCHISTIA RUFA, Craib in Kew Bull. 1912, 35. 



Carnatic, Tiruvallur and Kambakam Hill in Chingleput 

 (Cleghorn), Peninsula (Wall. Cat. 1901 in part). 



3. DECASCHISTIA CROTONIFOLIA, W. & A. 52; F. B. I. i. 332 

 (partly) ; Wt. Ic. t. 42. 



Deccan, in open forests in Bellary, Mysore, Salem and 

 Cuddapah, up to 2,500 ft. ; E. side of W. Ghats in Nilgiris 

 and Pulneys. 

 An erect shrub with large flowers. 



9. Hibiscus, Medik. 



Herbs, shrubs or rarely trees. Leaves stipulate, usually pal- 

 mately lobed or cut. Flowers axillary, or rarely in a terminal 

 raceme. Bracteoles 4-12 or rarely 0, usually free from each other 

 and from the calyx. Calyx 5-lobed or 5-fid, valvate or spathaceous 

 or circumsciss. Petals 5, connate at the base and adriate to the 



