486 



MALVACEAE. XVI. THESPESIA. XVII. GOSSYPIUM. 



XVI. THESPE'SIA (from Qtovtaios, thespesios, divine ; 

 because the T. populnea is usually planted about churches within 

 the tropics). Corr. ann. mus. 9. p. 290. D, C. prod. 1. p. 455. 

 Malvaviscus, Gsert. fruct. 2. t. 135. 



LIN. SYST. Mmadelphia, Polyandria. Calyx truncate, 

 girded by a 3-leaved deciduous involucel. Capsules 5-celled ; 

 cells semi-parted, 4-seeded at the base, with an incomplete dis- 

 sepiment. Albumen sparing. Trees with entire leaves. 



1 T. POPU'LNEA (Cor. 1. c.) leaves roundish, cordate, acumi- 

 nated, 5-7-nerved, with dot-like scales beneath ; peduncles equal 

 in length to the petioles. I? . S. Native of the East Indies, Guinea, 

 and the Society Islands. Hibiscus populneus, Lin. spec. 976. 

 Cav. diss. 3. p. 152. t. 56. f. 1. Rheed. mal. 1. p. 51. t. 29. 

 Pedicels 1-2 inches long. Flowers large, yellowish, with a dark- 

 red centre, inclining to green, becoming reddish as they decay. 

 This tree is very commonly cultivated about convents and mo- 

 nasteries within the tropics. It is called umbrella tree in some 

 of our colonies. 



Var. p, Guadalupensis (D. C. prod. 1. p. 456.) pedicels an 

 inch long ; petals narrower, and evidently fringed at the base, 

 f? . S. Native or cultivated in the island of Guadaloupe. Per- 

 haps a distinct species. 



Poplar-like Thespesia. Fl. 1 Clt. 1770. Tree 40 feet. 



2 T. BRASHIE'NSIS (Spreng. syst. 3. p. 96.) leaves ovate- 

 oblong, acuminated, subtrifid, serrulated, tomentose beneath ; 

 peduncles panicled, floccose. 17 . S. Native of Brazil. Flowers 

 yellowish, with a dark centre ? 



Brazilian Thespesia. Tree 40 feet. 



3 T. GRANDIFLORA (D. C. prod. 1. p. 456.) leaves ovate, 

 rather cordate, somewhat acuminated. T? S. Native of Porto- 

 Rico. Hibiscus grandifl6rus, Juss. ined. Flowers red, 4 

 or 5 inches in diameter. Pedicels 4 inches long. Fruit un- 

 known. Habit of T. populnea. 



Great-flonered Thespesia. Clt. 1327. Tree 30 feet. 



4 T. MACROPHY'LLA (Blum, bijdr. ex Schlecht. Linnaea. 1. 

 p. 651.) leaves cordate, acuminated, 5-nerved ; peduncles 

 shorter than the petioles. Tj . S. Native of Java. Rumph. 

 amb. 2. p. 224. t. 47. Flowers large, yellowish, with a dark 

 centre, becoming reddish as they decay. 



Large-leaved Thespesia. Tree 30 feet. 



5 T. ? ALTI'SSIMA (Spreng. syst. app. 3. p. 257.) leaves 

 oblong, retuse, entire ; peduncles lateral, many-flowered ; sta- 

 mens nearly free. Tj . S. Native of Java. Esenb6ckia altis- 

 sima, Blum, bijdr. 



Tallest Thespesia. Tree 60 feet. 



Cult. These trees will thrive well in a mixture of loam and 

 sand, and half-ripened cuttings will root freely in sand or mould 

 under a hand-glass, in heat. 



XVII. GOSSY'PIUM (qoz or qothn in Arabic signifies a 

 soft substance ; hence both the Latin and English name of the 

 genus. In Egypt the name of the cotton- tree is Gotsnenseigiar). 

 Lin. gen. no. 845. Lam. ill. t. 586. D. C. prod. 1. p. 465. 

 Xylon, Tourn. inst. t. 27. 



LIN. SYST. Monadelphia, Polyandria. Calyx cup-shaped, 

 obtusely 5-toothed, girded by a 3-parted, or 3-leaved involucel, 

 with the leaflets joined at the base, cordate, deeply toothed, 

 (f. 83. a.). Stigmas 3 (f. 83. e.) or 5. Capsules 3-5-celled (f. 

 83./.), many-seeded. Seeds imbedded In the cotton (f. 83. g.). 

 The species are little known. This is an important genus as 

 furnishing the down used in the cotton manufacture. This down 

 is found lining the capsules. There are several species culti- 

 vated for cotton in different parts of the world. 



1 G. HERBA'CEUM (Lin. spec. 975.) leaves 5-lobed, with 1 gland 

 beneath ; lobes rounded, mucronate ; involucel serrated ; stem 

 even, smooth. O-(Lin.)S. $ . (Par.) S. i;.(Roxb.)S. Native 



of India, Africa, and Syria. Petals yellow with a purple spot 

 on each claw. Cav. diss. 6. 1. 164. f. 2. Blackw. icon. t. 354. 

 This is the only species cultivated in Europe, especially in the 

 Levant, Malta, Sicily, and Naples ; it is also grown in many 

 parts of Asia. In the Levant this species of cotton is sown in 

 well prepared land in March in lines at 3 feet distance, and the 

 patches of seeds 2 feet apart in the lines. The plants are thinned 

 out to 2 or 3 in a place, and the earth is stirred by a one-horse plough 

 or by manual labour with hoes, and irrigated once or twice a- 

 week by directing the water along the furrows between the rows. 

 The flowering season is usually over about the middle of Sep- 

 tember, and then the ends of the shoots are pinched off to de- 

 termine the sap to the capsules. The capsules are collected 

 by hand as they ripen by a tedious process which lasts till the 

 end of November. The cotton and the seeds are then separ- 

 ated by manual labour, and the former packed in bales or bags 

 for sale. The seeds are bruised for oil or eaten, and a portion 

 kept for sowing ; they are esteemed wholesome and nutritive. 

 The most extensive cotton farmers are in the vale of Lorento, 

 in the vicinity of Mount Vesuvius. There the rotation of crops 

 are 1, maize ; 2, wheat, followed by beans which ripen next 

 March; 3, cotton; 4, wheat, followed by clover; 5, melons, 

 followed by French beans. Thus in 5 years are produced 8 

 crops. In this district, wherever water can be commanded, it 

 is distributed as in Tuscany and Lombardy to every kind of 

 crop. 



Herbaceous or Common Cotton. Fl. July. Clt. 1594. PI. 

 S to 4 feet. 



2 G. JAVA'NICUM (Blum, bijdr. ex Schlecht. Linnaea. 1. p. 

 651.) leaves roundish-cordate, half 3-lobed, never entire, quite 

 smooth, with 1 gland beneath ; involucel jagged, 3-leaved ; calyx 

 unequally 5-toothed ; petioles and branches covered with black 

 dots. Jj . S. Native of Java, where it is cultivated for its 

 cotton. Flower yellow, with purple claws. 



Java Cotton Tree. Shrub 5 feet. 



3 G. I'NDICUM (Lam. diet. 2. p. 134.) leaves 3-5-lobed, ob- 

 tuse, glandless ; involucel rather cut at the apex ; stem herba- 

 ceous, hairy. O $ S. Native of the East Indies. Rumph. 

 amb. 4. p. 38. t. 12. Cav. diss. 6. t. 169. Flowers yellow, with 

 purple claws. This species is cultivated in Amboyna for its cotton. 



Indian Cotton. Fl. July, Aug. Clt. 1800. PI. 3 to 6 feet. 



4 G. MICRA'NTHUM (Cav. diss. 6. p. 311. t. 193.) leaves fi- 

 lched, obtuse, very smooth, with 1 gland beneath ; involucel mul- 

 tifid, longer than the petals; stem smooth, dotted. O- S. Na- 

 tive of Persia at Ispahan. Flowers yellow, with purple claws ? 

 This species is cultivated in Persia for its cotton. 



Small-flowered Cotton. Fl. July, Aug. Clt. 1820. PI. 2 or 

 4 feet. 



5 G. ARBORECM (Lin. spec. 975.) leaves 5-lobed, palmate ; 

 lobes lanceolate, obtuse, mucronate from a short bristle, with 1 

 gland beneath ; involucel deeply serrated ; stem hairy. Tj . S. 

 Native of the East Indies in sandy places. Rheed. mal. 1. t. 31. 

 Alp. exot. t. 38. Cav. diss. 6. t. 193. G. rubrum, Forsk. 

 descr. no. 88 ? Flowers pale yellow, with brown claws. This 

 species is cultivated in the East Indies, as well as in Africa. 



Cotton Tree. Fl. July, Aug. Clt. 1694. Shrub 4 to 10 ft. 



6 G. VITIPOLIUM (Lam. diet. 2. p. 135.) lower leaves 5-lobed, 

 palmate, upper ones 3-lobed, with 1 or 3 glands beneath ; invo- 

 lucels jagged ; calyx with three glands at the base; stem dotted, 

 smooth. O. (Com.) S. Ij . (Roxb.) S. Native of the East In- 

 dies. Cav. diss. 6. 1. 1 66. Rumph. amb. 4. t. 13. G. glabrum, 

 Lam. according to Cav. is not distinct from this plant. This 

 species is cultivated in the East Indies and Brazil. Flowers 

 yellow, with purple claws. 



Vine-leaved Cotton. Fl. July, Aug. Clt. 1805. PI. 5 feet. 



7 G. HIRSU'TUM (Lin. spec. 975.) upper leaves undivided, 



