Hibiscus.'] malvace.t:. 35 



Mount Victoria, Chamjnon, also Wright. Common in India, and very variable in the 

 shape of the leaves. 



2. H. tiliaceus, Linn. ,- DC. Prod. i. 454. A small tree. Leaves on 

 long stalks, orbicular-cordate, shortly acuminate, entire or crenulate, white or 

 hoary nnderneath with a short close tomentum, nearly glabrous above, 3 to 5 

 in. diameter. Peduncles short, in the upper axils or at the ends of the branches. 

 Flowers large, yellow, with a dark crimson eye. Involucre carapanulate, di- 

 vided usually to the middle in 10 to 12 lobes, about half the length of the 

 calyx. Calyx near an inch long, the lobes lanceolate. Capsule near an inch 

 diameter, opening in 5 valves, bearing the placentas on their centre and 

 their thin margins turned inwards so as to make the capsule appear 10-celled. 

 — Paritium tiliaceum, St. HiL; W. and Arn. Prod. PI. Penins. i. 52 ; Wight, 

 Ic. t. 7. 



Hongkong, Wright. A common seacoast tree in most ti-opical countries, and very abun- 

 dant in the islands of the Pacific. 



Order XVIII. STERCULIACSiS. 



Sepals usually 5, more or less united in a toothed or lobed calyx, valvate in 

 the bud (except in a very few American species). Petals either 5, hypogy- 

 nous, free, and convolute in the bud, or none. Stamens hypogynous, united 

 in an entire or lobed tube or column. Anthers definite or indefinite, 2-celled, 

 adnate to the outside of the staminal column or of its lobes. Ovary free, 2- to 

 5- or 10-celled, entire or divided into as many distinct carpels, with 2 or 

 more ovules, or very rarely a single ovule in each cell or carpel. Style en- 

 tire or divided into as many lobes as cells or carpels. Pruit a capsule or 

 drupe, or separating into distinct cocci or follicles. Seeds glabrous, with little 

 or no albumen. Embryo straight or curved. — Trees, soft-wooded shrubs, or 

 rarely herbs. Leaves alternate, either simple and pinnately or digitately 

 nerved, or compound, with digitate leaflets. Stipules rarely wanting. In- 

 florescence axillary or rarely terminal. 



An Order almost entirely tropical, and most abundant in the Old World. It might be 

 considered as a suborder of Malvacea, differing chiefly in the 2-celled anthers. 



Petals none. Flowers unisexual. 



Anthers about 15. Carpels follicular when ripe 1. Sterculia. 



Anthers 5. Carpels hard and indehiscent 2. Heritiera. 



Petals 5. Flowers hermaphrodite. 



Calyx campanulate. Flowers in terminal cymes. Ovules 2 in each cell 3. Reevesia. 



Calyx tubular. Flowers axillary. Ovules several in each cell . . 4. Helicteres. 



1. STERCULIA, Linn. 



Plowers usually monoecious. Calyx 5 -cleft. Petals none. Staminal co- 

 lumn in the males cylindrical, with about 15 anthers sessile round its summit. 

 Ovaiy in the females consisting of 5 carpels, connected together by the style, 

 and often surrounded at the base by imperfect anthers. Ovules 2 or more in 

 each carpel. Ripe carpels distinct, much enlarged, follicular. Seeds with 

 albumen. — Trees. Leaves undivided and pinnately nerved, or palmately lobed 

 or digitate. 



D 2 



