MALVACEAE. 



239 



muda, is a velvety perennial up to 6° high, with ovate to lanceolate, serrate 

 leaves 4-8' long, its pink petals crimson-blotched at the base, 4'-5' long. 



Hibiscus diversifolius Jacq., Prickly Hibiscus, African, f^een in the 

 garden at Dunbarton in 1914, is a prickly shrub about 5° high, with variously 

 lobed, long-petioled leaves 3'-6' broad, and short-pedicelled, large, yellowish or 

 purplish flowers. 



9. PARITI Adans. 



Trees, with broad cordate petioled leaves, large deciduous stipules, and 

 large, terminal or axillary flowers, solitary or few^ together, the petals yellow 

 or changing to red. Involucre 8-10-toothed. Calyx o-toothed. Style pubescent 

 above, 5-cleft, the stigmas broad. Capsule loculicidally 5-celled, many-seeded, 

 the cells vertically partitioned by a dissepiment, which splits at dehiscence into 

 two membranes. [Name said to be Malabaric] A few species of tropical 

 regions, the following typical. 



1. Pariti tiliaceum (L.) Juss. 

 Mahoe. (Fig. 265.) A tree, some- 

 times 50° high, the young foliage vel- 

 vety-tomentose. Leaves long-petioled, 

 the blades 3'-8' broad, nearly orbicu- 

 lar, cordate at base, abruptly acumi- 

 nate at apex, shallowly dentate or sub- 

 entire, the venation prominent beneath ; 

 involucre 10-cleft, about J' long; petals 

 yellow, obovate, 2'-2J' long; calyx about 

 10" long; capsule ovoid, tomentose, 

 7"-9" long; seeds glabrous or minutely 

 downy. [Hihiscus tiliaceus L.] 



Border of a mangrove swamp near the 

 west end of the causeway a large tree 

 observed in 1913 ; apparently not planted. 

 Lefroy records that a tree was grown 

 from seed washed ashore about 1825, 

 and that prior to 1879 there was a large 

 tree at Somerville, Smith's Parish. Oc- 

 casionally planted for shade. Flowers 

 in summer and autumn. Naturalized. 

 Erroneously called Tulip-tree in Bermuda. 



10. THESPESIA Soland. 



Shrubs or trees. Leaves alternate, entire or merely angulately lobed, 

 commonly large, usually cordate, petioled. Flowers perfect, showy. Involucel 

 of 3-5 narrow^ deciduous bractlets. Calyx truncate or nearly so. Petals 5. 

 Ovary sessile, 5-celled; styles 5, united or rarely distinct; stigmas decurrent on 

 the styles. Ovules few in each cavity. Capsule firm, woody-leathery, 5-celled, 

 indehiscent. Seeds several in each cavity, glabrous or pubescent. [Greek, 

 marvellous.] About 8 tropical species, the following typical. 



