290 SYSTEMATIC BOTANY 



seed, and thus a schizocarp. SlDA CARPINIFOLIA 

 (fig. 32) is another common species. 



[If this is not available compare the description with 

 a Hollyhock (ALTHAEA) a plant to be had during the 

 cold weather in any Indian town.] 



HIBISCUS ROSA-SINENSIS, L., the common scarlet 

 * shoe flower ' of Indian gardens. A shrub with thin 

 .green twigs, on which are a few short branched hairs. 

 Leaves alternate, stipulate, the stipules quite large (i 

 inch long) at the ends of the branches, but soon 

 falling off. Petiole about an inch long, blade, ovate, 

 acute, coarsely toothed or serrate, glabrous except for 

 a few branched hairs on the underside of the mid-rib. 



Flowers singly in the axils of the leaves. Several 

 (six or more) linear bracteoles just below the calyx 

 forming what is sometimes called an ' epi-calyx ' (p. 207). 

 Calyx with five triangular teeth. Corolla large pink 

 or red, the petals free but slightly connected at the 

 base to each other and to the stamens, overlapping 

 each other and twisted in the bud. Stamens in the 

 form of a staminal tube surrounding the style, with 

 numerous connectives bearing kidney-shaped anthers 

 which open by one slit. Style single but branching 

 .above into five arms each with a large round velvety 

 stigma. Ovary five-celled. The usual garden varieties 

 do not set seed, the pollen being apparently quite 

 infertile ; but the original species, H. ROSA-SINENSIS 

 is sometimes grown and does ripen seeds, and there 

 .are many other wild species of the genus which 

 do. The fruit is dry and dehiscent, the outer wall 

 breaking between the partitions a loculicidal capsule. 

 Ovules attached to the inner angles of the cells 



