MALVACEAE (MALLOW FAMILY) 151 



D. Carpels i-ovuled, i-seeded; upper leaves palmately parted; fruit flat, cheese- 

 shaped. E. (Malva another genus; + Gk. astron = a star; application 

 not apparent.) Malvastrum coccineum (FALSE MALLOW) 



DD. Carpels i-3-ovuled, i-3-seeded; none of the leaves more deeply lobed than 

 halfway to the base; fruit conic. SPHAERALCEA (p. 152) 



AA. Leaves not lobed; palmately or pinnately veined. 

 E. Leaves 5 cm. or less wide; carpels 6-10, i-2-seeded; plants often not densely 



velvety-pubescent. 



F. Petals red or rose-colored; carpels i-2-seeded, extended upward as an empty 



portion. SPHAERALCEA (p. 152) 



FF. Petals white or yellow; carpels i-seeded, filled by the seed. SIDA (p. 152) 



EE. Leaves 10-20 cm. wide; carpels 12-15, 3-seeded; plants densely and finely 



velvety-pubescent. W. (Meaning unknown.) 



Abutilon theophrasti (VELVET-LEAF) 



MALVA (MALLOW) 



Flowers solitary in the leaf axils, or rarely in terminal racemes. Petals 

 obcordate. Carpels many, i-ovuled, in a ring around a broad central axis, 

 free, separating, indehiscent, beakless ; axis not projecting beyond the car- 

 pels. (Gk. malache = soft ; because the crushed herbage is mucilaginous.) 



A. Stem leaves dissected into linear lobes; carpels very hairy; plant erect; flowers 



2.5-5 cm. wide. W. M. moschata (MUSK MALLOW) 



AA. Stem leaves merely crenate or with rounded shallow lobes; carpels glabrous or 



puberulent; flowers o. 8-1.4 cm. wide. 



B. Stems procumbent; leaves rounded; carpels puberulent, not reticulate on the 



back. W. E. M. rotundifolia (FAIRY CHEESES) 



BB. Stems erect or ascending; leaves somewhat angular-lobed; carpels glabrous, 



reticulate on the back. W. M. parviflora 



SIDALCEA 



Annual or perennial. Flowers purple or white, in terminal racemes or 

 spikes. Involucre none. Outer stamens united into 5 sets opposite the 

 5 petals. Style filiform. Carpels 5-9, i-seeded, separating at maturity, 

 indehiscent. (Sida = another genus of this family ; + Gk. alkea = a 

 mallow.) 



A. Petals 8-13 mm. long; calyx 4-8 mm. long. 

 B. Flowers in racemes, either simple or paniculate. 



C. Calyx lobes attenuate-acuminate from a wide base. W. S. glaucescens 



CC. Calyx lobes broadly deltoid. W. E. S. oregana 



BB. Flowers in long dense spikes. U. S. spicata 



AA. Petals 15-30 mm. long; calyx 8-15 mm. long. 



D. Petals rose-colored; calyx 6-10 mm. long; mature carpels more or less reticulate 

 on the back. 



E. Stems 4-7 cm. high; carpels glabrous. E. S. nervata 

 EE. Stems 6-15 dm. high; carpels pubescent. W. E. S. campestris 



DD. Petals red; calyx 12-15 mm. long; mature carpels smooth. W. 



S. bendersoni 



