Althaea.] MALVACEAE. 75 



column, twisted in bud, often oblique. Stamens many, filaments com- 

 bined into a tube ; anthers reniform annular or twisted, 1-celled, bursting 

 outwards. Disk small. Carpels many, whorled, distinct or connate ; 

 styles distinct or connate, stigmatose on the inner face or top ; ovules 1 

 or more on the inner angles of the carpels, usually horizontal or ascending. 

 Fruit usually of many dry indehiscent or 2-valved loculicidal crustaceous 

 or coriaceous 1- or more-seeded carpels. Seeds often woolly, albumen little 

 or ; embryo curved, cotyledons usually thin folded or plaited. — Distrib. 

 All regions but very cold ones ; genera 60 ; species 700. — Affinities. 

 With Stcrculid ccaz, Tilia'cece, and Euphorbia' cece. — Properties. Mucila- 

 ginous ; the bark yields textiles, and cotton is the covering of the seeds 

 of Gossypium. 



Bracteoles 6-9, connate at the base 1. Althaea. 



Bracteoles 3, distinct, inserted on the calyx 2. Malva. 



Bracteoles 3, connate at the base 3. Lavatera. 



I. ALTHiE'A, L. Marsh-mallow. 



Herbs, hairy or tomentose. Leaves lobed or divided. Flowers axillary 

 or racemose. Calyx 5-fid ; epicalyx 6-9-fid. Staminal column long, fila- 

 ments distinct at its top only. Ovary many-celled ; styles filiform, inner 

 surface stigmatose ; ovules 1 in each cell. Fruit a whorl of indehiscent 

 1 -seeded carpels. Seed ascending. — Distrib. Temp, and warm regions ; 

 species 12. — Etym. &\0cd, from its healing properties. 



1. A. officinalis, L. ; softly pubescent, cymes axillary shorter than 

 the leaves. Marsh-mallow, Guimauve. 



Marshes near the sea, local ; from the Clyde southd.; Ireland; fl. Aug.-Sept. 

 — Perennial. Stem 2-3 ft., subsimple. Leaves 2-3 in. broad, shortly 

 petioled, ovate-cordate or suborbicular, thick, entire or 3-5-lobed, toothed. 

 Floicers 1-2 in. diam., rosy. Sepals ovate. — Distrib. Europe from 

 Denmark southd., 1ST. Africa, Siberia, W. Asia ; introd. in N. America. 



2. A. hirsu'ta, L. ; hispid, peduncles 1-fld. longer than the leaves. 

 Woods and fields in N. Somerset (wild) ; naturalized in W. Kent and Herts ; 



fl. July-Aug. — Annual or biennial. Stems 6-18 in., many, ascending, 

 slender. Leaves long-petioled, reniform, acutely 5-lobed, crenate, upper 

 3-partite. Flowers 1 in. diam., rose-purple. Sepals lanceolate. — Distrib. 

 Europe from Belgium southd., W. Asia. 



2. MAL'VA, L. Mallow. 



Hirsute or glabrous herbs. Leaves angled, lobed or cut. Flowers axil- 

 lary, honeyed. Calyx 5-fid, 3-bracteolate. Staminal column long, fila- 

 ments distinct at its top only. Ovary many-celled ; styles stigmatose on 

 the inner surface. Fruit a whorl of indehiscent 1-seeded carpels separating 

 from a short conical axis. Seed ascending, albumen scantly mucilaginous. 

 — Distrib. Europe, temp. Asia and N. Africa, and as weeds of cultivation 

 in other regions ; species 16. — Etym. /xaKaxv, in allusion to its emollient 

 properties. 



