90 STERCULIA FAMILY. 



cles slender ; corolla 4'-6' broad, pale rose or white, with or without a 

 darker center ; pod smooth. Swamps, mostly brackish, near the Great 

 Lakes E. and coastwise to Tex. 



H. lasioc^rpus, Cav. Haiky-fruited R. Like the last, but leaves 

 soft-downy both sides, and pod velvety-hairy. Swamps, 111. to Tex., K. 

 to Ga. 



H. CalifSrnicus, Kellogg. Californian R. Has large white flowers 

 with a purple center on jointed peduncles, young leaves and growth 

 velvety, and cordate-acuminate rarely obscurely 3-lobed, crenate or dentate 

 leaves, longer than the petiole. Cult. 



■*- -t- Exotic low species, in gardens or escaped, (i) 



H. Trionum, Linn. Bladder KetxMia or Flower-of-an-hour. Rather 

 hairy, \°-2° high ; leaves toothed, or the upper 3-parted into lanceolate 

 lobes, the middle lobe longest ; calyx inflated and bladdery ; corolla about 

 2' broad, sulphur-yellow with a blackish eye, open only in midday sunshine. 



« * * Herbs, imth calyx splitting doxon one side, and generally falling off 

 at once, and with long or narrow pyramidal or angled pod; native oj 

 East Indies. 



H. esculentus, Linn. Okra or Gombo. Nearly smooth ; leaves rounded 

 heart-shaped, 5-lobed, toothed ; greenish-yellow flowers on slender peduncle 

 (involucel falling early) ; pods narrow, 3' or 4 long, very mucilaginous, 

 and when green cooked and eaten, or used to thicken soups. Cult. 



12. GOSSYPIUM, COTTON. (Name given by Pliny, from the 

 Arabic.) Plants now diffused over warm countries, most valuable for 

 the wool on the seeds ; the species much confused. 



G. herbaceum, Linn. Common Cotton. Leaves with 5 short and 

 roundish lobes ; petals pale yellow or turning rose-color, purple at base. 

 ® Cult. S. 



G. Barbadense, Linn. Barbadoes or Sea-Island C. Inclining to be 

 shrubby at base ; branches black-dotted ; leaves with 5 longer lance- 

 ovate and taper-pointed lobes ; leaves of the involucre with very long and 

 slender teeth ; petals yellowish or whitish, with purple base. Cult, on the 

 coast and upland S. 



G. arbbreum, Linn. Tree C. Leaves with 5-7 nearly lanceolate and 

 taper-pointed lobes of involucre, slightly toothed ; corolla purple with a 

 darker center. Cult. S. as a curiosity. 



XXII. STERCULIACE^, STERCULIA FAMILY. 



Chiefly a tropical family, to which belongs the Theobrom^ 

 or Chocolate Tree; in common cultivation known here onlj 

 by a single species of 



1. MAHERNIA. (Name an anagram of Hermannia, a genus very 

 like it.) Calyx, corolla, etc., as in the Mallow Family ; but the stamens 

 only 5, one before each petal ; the filaments monadelphous only at the. 

 base and enlarged about the middle, and tlie anthers with 2 paralle( 

 cells. The edges of the base of the petals rolled inwards, making u 

 hollow claw. Ovary 5-celled, with several ovules in each cell ; styles 6 , 

 united at the base. 



