HIBISCUS 



nearly or quite glabrous above, the long petiole often 

 joined to the peduncle: involucre bracts linear, nearly 

 or quite as long as the tomentose calyx: fls. very large 

 (4-7-8 in. broad), light rose-color (or white in var. 

 a;?;KS),with a purple eye: capsule glabrous. Marshes 

 along the coast from Mass. to Fla. and west to L. Michi- 

 gan. B.M. 882. B.R. 17:1463; 33:7. Mn. 2:161. Gug. 

 2:227. B. rdseus, Thore, of Europe, a rose-colored 

 form, is considered to be a naturalized form of this 

 American species. R.H. 1879:10.-One of the best of 

 the Marsh Mallows, thriving in any good garden soil. Of 

 easiest culture aud perfectly hardy. Blooms in Aug. 

 and Sept. The foliage is strong and effective. The 

 most generally cultivated of the hardy herbaceous 

 kinds. The form known as Crimson Eye (clear white 

 with a crimson center) was introduced 1894 by Wm. F 

 Bassett & Son. It was found in a swamp in New Jersey. 

 There is some question, however, as to whether it is 

 specifically the same as JI. Mosclieiifos. The tls. are 

 pure white (except the center), expand wide, and the 

 Ivs. are bronze-tinted. The carpels are more attenuate. 



10. iucanus, Wendl. Much like H. JInseheiitns, and 

 sometimes passing for it in the trade: Ivs. smaller and 

 narrower, ovate-lanceolate, not lotted, serrate-toothed: 

 fls. sulfur-yellow, with acrimson eye. S. Car. and south. 

 — Seems to be hardy in the North with a mulch protec- 

 tion. 



11. Califbrnicua, Kell. Strong growing. 5 ft., the stem 

 terete or slightly grooved above, more or less pubes- 

 cent: Ivs. distinctly cordate, ovate, shallow toothed aud 

 not lobed, dull ashy gray beneath involucie bracts 

 hairy: corolla white or rose, with a pui| 1. c\e -5 m 

 across: capsule pubescent. Calif -i i I tljis 

 as a form of U. lastocatpiis, t i\ s. 

 Gray). A portrait of H. hmoun / 1 m 

 G.F. 1:426. Although the name // ( .m 

 mon in the trade, it is a question hou imi. Ii . I tli. st.n k, 

 if any, is this species. Certainly some of it is U JLii- 

 cheutos. From ff. Moschentos this species is told by its 

 cordate ashy-tomentoso Ivs. and hairy-ciliate involucre 

 bracts. The plant known to the trade as if Citlifotni 

 cus is hardy. 



cc. Zvs. strongly lobed. 



12. grandifldnis, Michs. Tall and stout (3-8 ft.), the 

 terete reddish stem becoming glabrous: Ivs. large, 3- 

 lolied, the lobes ovate-acuminate or ovate-oblong-acu- 

 minate, the side ones widely spreading, blunt-toothed 

 or even again lobed: fls. very large (6-8 in. across), 

 white or rose, with deeper eye. Ga., Fla. west.— Aside 

 from the large fls. and lobed Ivs., this is very like H. 

 Moschentos. It is doubtful if the true H. grandiflorus 

 is in the trade. 



AAA. Shrubs, hardy in the North (or in the middle 

 states). 



13. Syrlacus, Linn. [Althaa trittex, Hort.). Shkcbby 

 Althea. Rose of Sharon. Figs. 1056, 1057. Shrub, 

 6-12 ft. high, much branched, nearly or quite glabrous: 



Ivs. rather small, short-petioled, 

 strongly 3 ribbed, triangular- or 

 ihnmbic-ovate, mostly 3-lobed 

 ,ind with many rounded teeth or 

 notches: fls. solitary in the axils 

 "U the young wood (late in the 

 season), somewhat bell-shaped. 

 -!- ; in. long, rose or purple, usu- 

 ally darker at the base : pod 

 short, splitting into 5 valves. 

 Asia. B.M. 83. R.H. 1845:133 

 (var. speci"«i(S, with double fls.). 

 — One of the commonest of orna- 

 mental shrubs, and hardy in On- 

 tario. It IS immensely variable in 

 character of fls., the colors rang- 

 ing from blue-purple to violet- 

 ' flesh color and white ; also 

 full double forms. There are 

 forms with variegated Ivs. Col- 

 ored plates of some of the double-fld. forms will be 

 found in Gn. 52:1150. The species thrives in any good 

 soil. Prop, by seeds, by cuttings of ripened wood taken 

 in the fall, and named vars. by grafting- on the common 



seedling stock. Nativity uncertain, but probably not 

 Syrian, as Linnfeus supposed : probablv native in 

 China. To this speoiP^- I.pI..,-- «n,-h trn.V T,:,me« as 



H. piir,,;,rr„s. ir.sp.r,., /„,. //. ,- „;.,,;,„.„,, 



//. 



// 



//. 



u. 



14. HamS.bo, Sieb. & Zucc. A Japanese species offered 

 by importers but not yet tested in this country, and 

 probably not hardy south of the southern-middle states: 

 6-10 ft. high, closely pubescent: Ivs. roundish, with an 

 .abrupt short point, irregularly shallowly toothed, white 



1057. Hibiscus Syriacus {X %). 



tomentose: involu 

 solitary in the up 

 base. 



B. Lvs. hoary beneath. 

 15. eUtus, Swartz(P«.-!7;»m (!/(5h(»i, G.Don). Moun- 

 tain Mahoe. a West Indian tree, now introduced in 



mid-cordate, short-cuspidate, entir 



